You've Got a Friend in Me
by zombee415
Summary: When they left Merele Dixion he didn't expect to live and he sure didn't expect to find someone who he could actually stand being around. But for some reason fate seemed to have other plans. Sorry summary sucks! First fan fic. Maybe I can update a better one later. Eventually A Daryl and OC.
1. Chapter 1

Sorry it is a bit short and this is my first fan fiction so please be nice. (: BTW sorry for the lack of commas...my computer sucks!

"Alright I can do this." The young woman thought to herself as she extended his body over the ledge of the tall building for a bag she had previously thrown up there while running. "Damnit! Why did I have to be so damn stupid?" She thought realizing the only way she was going to reach it with success would be to jump onto the structure and she knew the only way of getting onto the structure with any success was to get a running start so the young blonde woman backed up about ten feet; as much as the buildings roof would allow her then she did something she hadn't done in a while she hoped. "Please let me make this." She said out loud as she ran and jumped clearing the four and a half-foot gap barley and grabbing onto the sculptor in downtown Atlanta. She threw her arm in the air as to celebrate for a moment before she heard voices and hid in the crease of the huge art piece.

Their voiceswas muffled but she could see that there was four men much bigger and most likely stronger than her. "Damnit!" She said as she sunk lower into the art trying to make her body blend in with it as much as possible. She then continued to watch the men as one of their heads snapped up and stared over by her almost through her it seemed. "You see something?" This time she heard one of the men say. It looked like the man who just talked was wearing a sherif outfit and for that reason alone she wanted to run to them for help but previous encounters with strange men made her wary.

"Naw it's nothing; probably just a bird or some'in." She said with a heavy coutry accent.

"Alright well let's get going I don't know about you guys but I don't want to be here long. I feel like someone is watching us." She let out a breath as they passed by but didn't dare to move until she saw nothing of them left. "Well that was just to close for comfort." She said mimicking what her older sister used to say. Her memories snapped to her sister as she made her way down the sculptor being careful not to slip and die. "Wouldn't that be funny dying by the thing I love most." She said snorting a little as she jumped down the rest of the way and secured her bag to her side and took off in the opposite direction she just saw the men go.

The woman looked at the sky and decided she had a few hours before sundown for her to find a decent shelter for the night. "Well this place is as good as any." She said releasing the large knife from the holder on her side as she ready to enter what looked like an old abandoned store. At first she saw no walkers there were a few bodies lying around and it looked as if someone had done all the work for her. "Hmpf." She said as she relaxed a bit before seeing a figure slumped against a cooler still breathing. "Knew there had to be at least one." She said going up to it drawing her knife once again. She stopped a minute and looked at the walker in front of her there was something different about it but she couldn't really pin point it. "Oh well" She said as she lifted her knife and the walker lifted its head. "Oh shit! walkers eyes don't have color. Sir are you alive? Are you bit? Sir wake up!" She said panicking wanting to help this man any way she could it had been two months since she had seen anyone; well besides the gentleman she hid from.

"Git 'ur damn hands off of me!" She mumbled as she stood back from the live man in front of her. She scanned his body looking for the reason he was in the state he was in looking for bites.

"Are you bit?" She asked finally finding her voice again. He weakly shook his head no and a wave of relief hit her body. "Thank god!" She mumbled under her breath knowing she wouldn't be able to kill another human. "Are you okay?" She asked finally seeing what put him in the state he was in. "Oh my god! you're hand!" She said as she whipped her bag open to get some medical supplies but before she could pull out the first bandage she was on the ground with the once lifeless man in front of her. 'oh no he turned. He turned and I am going to dye.' She thought but then realized he was still very much alive and had wrapped his one hand around her throat so effortlessly.

"I ain't bit I don't need help I need sleep that is what I am trying to do. I am a Dixion and only a Dixion can kill a Dixion. Now if you want to live I suggest you leave me the hell alone." He said gripping tighter with ever passing syllable. 'How the hell is he this strong right now?' She thought frantically clawing at his arm.

"Pl-eas-e Can't Br-ea-th." She managed to gasp out as she felt her world fading black. He finally decided she had enough and threw her to the side leaving her to gasp for air and collect herself. She could already feel the bruise forming around her neck her skin was sensitive now to even the cold draft as she pulled her knees to her chest. 'Oh my god. He could have killed me and I would have just been gone. No one would care what if I never got to find Janey...how is he that strong? He was just about dead but he is still so strong.' Her head was spinning a million miles a second as she tried to rationalize her thoughts. The thoughts that she was so wrapped up in she didn't notice the walker approaching her from the left.

Merele did however he could smell the putrid smell of death fill his nasal cavity and the low sound of moaning and feet scuffling across the ground. He knew that sound and smell to well and he also knew this girl was going to get killed unless he helped her. The older Dixion brother lunged at the walker not ever stopping to think; he grabbed the nearest thing to him and shoved it through the eye socket. Not like it mattered the eye was gone probably scavenged and eaten by another abomination.

The walker was taken down so fast that the young woman didn't even have time to think. All she saw was a flash and then the man who had just attacked her lunged at a walker that would have killed her if he wouldn't have pounced first. "You...You saved me." Was all she can huff out looking at her savior.


	2. Not everyone in this world deserves help

SECOND CHAPTER! Yay! Please leave comments and review. Bad or Good I love criticism.

Aurora sat there dumbfounded not knowing what to think at this moment. The man who had just saved her had tried to kill her literally minutes before. "Why?" She couldn't really muster up the energy or courage to say anything else but that simple three-letter word.

"Well you were being stupid and not payin attention and I'll be damned if I was gonna have to kill you and the other walker then clean up your damn bodies. To much work and like I said before...I wanna sleep." He said shutting his eyes as he tried to ignore the big cartoon like eyes he knew was watching him. He peered from just underneath his eye lids and saw she was still looking at his face for any emotion at all. Her eyebrows furrowed and green eyes hard in eyes were a bright green a color he knew his little brother would have loved and with that thought the first emotion he had shown lit his face for a moment almost as a shooting star lit the night-time sky for a moment before dying out as quickly as it was visible.

"You okay?" She asked noticing the emotion for the very moment it was visible. It looked as though it was hurt and sadness that riddled the older mans face for that one moment that he seemed the most human in the short time she had known this man. He didn't answer only simply pretended to be sleeping but she knew better. "My name is Aurora and thank you for saving me." She said in a matter of factly tone as she began searching around the store for anything she could use. "What is your name?" She asked only knowing his last name was Dixion. No answer; 'Well he must not like to talk.' She thought to herself as she found a little stove top that looked to be used for camping. 'This will do.' she said as she started to take a few things out of her bag and looked at the man who wasn't talking and she owed her life to.

Merele sat in his thoughts eyes closed while he heard the young woman rummaging around about him. 'Man can she make any other noise? Didn't I just tell her I was tryin' ta sleep?' He thought to himself getting more annoyed as the minutes passed. "Hey will you shut the hell up?" He found himself screaming with a voice so forceful he was sure he say sheer terror in the young girls eyes. She was froze and it wasn't until he opened his own eyes all the way he realized she was preparing to cook food.

'Aurora you just need to stay here tonight. Feed him and make sure his stump is bandaged then take off. As soon as the sun comes up you are gone. He's going to end up killing you; or worse." The last thought that played through her head made her sick to her stomach as she remembered the many scares she was left with after encounters with a few men a while back. She then quietly got up with her things and the old stove and left the side of the grumpy older man to go find a new spot with some distance.

While looking for a new spot she saw a little office that was all the way across the building from Dixion. "This will do." She said tossing her bag and setting the stove down inside the room. She then unlatched her knife and slowly crept into the room before looking around. There was no sign of any walkers so she entered the room and took out a few survival candles she had got a few stops back and a lighter. One thing that Aurora hated in this new world was the dark; to many monsters could hide in the dark that you wouldn't know was there until it was too late. It was funny because she could remember before the world went to hell she had loved the dark absolutely lavished in it but now she hated it and the cold feeling it brought with it.

She sighed remembering her old life as she set up the mini stove to prepare food for her and the asshole who saved her. She was afraid of him but she thought him an asshole none the less.

*Flash Back*

"Aurora get your ass up and outta that damn bed or I will shank you!" Her older sister Jamey yelled from the stairs of her room.

"Ugh I'm up." She managed to mumble loud enough for the older sister to hear. Sometimes she hated living with her sister and she wished she was still with her parents but she knew it wasn't going to happen so there was no sense in dwelling on the past. The teenage blonde slowly got out of her oversized comfortable bed and cringed a little at the cold floor as her feet hit it. She knew she had to go to school today even though she didn't want to as usual' she found no need to she already knew everything her teachers were teaching her and more times than not she was correcting them. She didn't have many friends and the friends she managed to find were more of associates. The only thing she really had at school was art and that's what she focused on. She did the work but other than that she drew and painted even sculpted. Her teachers didn't even mind the more time she spent preoccupied with her projects the less time she talked.

"Hey come on you're going to be late again!" Jamey yelled as Aurora was slipping into baggy jeans covered in paint and an old HIM shirt. She then grabbed her bag and shoes and stumbled her way down the stairs.

"I told you I was up." She said catching the apple her older sister threw at her.

"Yeah yeah yeah. If I had a dollar for every time you said that and didn't get up I would be rich and we could afford a nicer place." The red-head said to her sister. "How do I look?" She asked smoothing out her business suit.

"Amazing as usual." She said admiring her older sisters look.

"Well that is one thing mom managed to pass down to the both of us. Good looks and a great personality to me...you not so much." She teased as Aurora looked up in mock anger.

"Ass." She mumbled as her sister grabbed her things and left. "be careful I love you and try not to get in trouble today." The older sister said grabbing her keys and heading for the door. "Love you too!" Aurora yelled as she sat alone in the kitchen.

*End of FlashBack*

A few tears fell from her eyes as she opened the two cans of beef stew and started heating them up. 'Man I hope she is okay.' She said still thinking about her older sister. 'Of course she is she's the toughest person I know.' She said mindlessly stirring the stew. She then turned the heat down and started looking around the office for anything she could use and then she found something she thought she would never see again cigarettes. There were tons of the little sticks that made everything seem better she got excited and took a pack to open. "Ah good old American Spirit." She said as she flipped the first cigarette she laid her eyes on for her lucky then took another and lit it inhaling deeply. Within a few seconds of the bittersweet smoke entering her body a wave of relief filled the young womans body.

As she puffed on the cigarette she continued looking around and found a few blankets and two pillows among some odds and ends she could use. She took one pillow and blanket for herself and put the other pillow and couple of blankets in a pile to take to the man on the other side of the building. 'Even though he scares you he also saved you from death.' She said to herself rationalizing why she was being nice to the person who frightened her. She then poured some of the stew into a bowl and grabbed it the pillow and the blankets and started to make her way to the older man.

"Hey I figured you needed some food." She said quietly her voice barely above a whisper as she sat everything down and left. 'That wasn't so hard.' She said as she headed back to her make shift room.

Merele waited for the girls foot steps to fade away before he looked up and saw she left him a bowl of stew and a few blankets and pillow. The smell of the beef stew filled the room quickly as it made his mouth water and stomach growl. It was just like the kind him and Daryl used to stock up on before the world went to hell those were the good days. Daryl and Him lived in a small apartment which was stocked up with canned goods meat from the forest and beer. He chuckled remembering the first time Daryl got drunk. He had been 12 and found Merele's liquor stash Merele was mad at first but then seeing his younger brother having trouble standing and talking made him laugh something fierce.

His stomach abruptly ended his reminiscing by letting out a huge growl that he was sure the young blonde could here from wherever she was. He knew she didn't want to be around him and it was perfectly fine by him. He liked being alone besides Daryl he was alone all of his life. Nothing would change that fact and he would rather keep it that way anyway. He picked up the bowl and took a deep wiff taking in all the ingredients at once which sent his mouth into a rage as he began to inhale the stew. He couldn't remember the last time he had anything this good. Even when he was with the other group on the outskirts of Atlanta they always made slop and he doubted any of the women there could cook anyways.

Aurora sat there trying to get herself to eat the stew that was placed in front of her but she found herself not having any type of appetite. Whenever she took a bit she immediately grew sick and she finally gave up and pushed the bowl away lighting another cigarette instead. She knew she would have to eat sooner or later but now wasn't the time to make herself sick. 'Maybe Dixion wants some more.' She got up and grabbed the bowl and her bag heading for the other side of the store once again.

On her way to him she decided that it wasn't the best idea to be afraid of the man she was going to be rooming with whether she liked it or not. 'Just try and talk to him he can't be that bad. You probably have met worse in your short 25 years of life. If not you may be in a lot of trouble.' She thought to herself as she remembered all the people she had come to know through out her life. "Mind if I have a seat?" She asked Dixion.

When the girl he knew as Aurora asked to sit down her voice broke through the silence like a gunshot and he wouldn't admit it to anyone but she startled him. He just motioned to the floor and she sat down handing him the food. He looked at the bowl of food and took it but he couldn't help but to wonder if she had eaten for herself. "Did you eat?" He found himself asking before he could stop himself. This time his voice seemed softer almost kind; he still had his southern drawl but his voice wasn't harsh and petrifying this time. She nodded and he went about his ways to eat.

"So what is your name?" She asked as he looked up at her and he was finally able to really see her since she brought a few candles and lit them. He could tell she looked tired she had bags under her eyes and her face way dirty. She was thinner but not a stick she had curves. She looked like women should look and strangely even though she was thinner she had chubby cheeks. She would have defiantly have been a girl who would have caught his younger brothers attention. He thought before he realized he was just staring at her. He looked away back to his bowl of stew as he cleared his throat. If there was one thing he missed in this world even more than he booze it was his baby brother even though he wouldn't admit it. "I mean not that you have to tell me I just thought since we are going to be stuck here together for the night we could talk a little. I'm sorry it was stupid of me to ask just ummm let me know when you're done eating and I will clean your wound and wrap it up." She said stumbling on her words as she went to get up. She must have seen him staring and he was guessing he didn't look to happy.

"Merele." He said not knowing why he told her his name. She stopped and turned around looking at _Merele. _"You can sit down I won't hurt you." He said then remembering earlier when she looked unsure and grabbed her freshly bruised neck. 'Damn I grabbed her that hard?' He thought to himself looking at the dark mark that only looked darker from the lack of light. "So how has a pretty little thing like you survived this far?" He asked looking up from his food and she looked at him with a look of shock.

"Well just because I am pretty doesn't mean I have less of a chance to live. If you're ugly you don't get more of a chance the odds are the same for everyone. It just depends on how smart a person is." She said looking down and pulling her cigarettes out lighting one up.

He immediately smelt the sweet smell of smoke and looked up from his food to see it wasn't fake she had a cigarette. "Can I have one?" He said gesturing for the cigarette and she laughed. This girl actually laughed at him.

"You didn't look at your blankets did you?" She didn't mean to laugh at him but she couldn't help it. She had put four packs with the blanket she gave him. She figured that he would either be happy or just not use them.

Curious Merele looked at the blankets and right on top were four packs of cigarettes as he grabbed them and immediately tore open a pack and lit one. "Oh god that is nice." He mumbled taking another drag.

"So where are you from _Merele_?" She asked putting emphasis on his name becoming even a little more comfortable around him. He looked at her setting the bowl down besides him and savoring the cigarette.

"A little of this little of that. You know Imma jack of all trades." He said relaxing a bit. "What 'bout you?"

"I was an artist. Dabbled in painting and drawing but I worked as a tattoo artist. Funny thing is that I started that about a month or so before the world ended. That was my passion and I only have a month to enjoy it." She giggled a bit at the irony. "Before I had my 'big break' I worked as a nurse in the emergency room of a hospital."

"Ah well that's a good skill to have for this world. Did you like helping people?" He said referring to her past job.

"I did but I also realized not everyone in this world deserves help." She said quietly looking away. His eye brow raised at the last comment not sure if she ment for him to hear the last comment or if it was just a silent comment to herself. He decided not to press it he knew how it was to not mean to say something then be grilled about it. "However you are in need of help. I'm pretty sure in a world like this you didn't have the proper equipment to cut your hand off or cauterize the wound." She said thankful he didn't ask about her last comment.

"Naw I can survive" he said as she was already fishing through her bag to find stuff to clean and redress the wound.

"None sense any wound these days can get infected then that would be on my conscience if I know I could have helped. You saved my life and if I didn't at least help it would eat me alive with guilt knowing I let your hand just go." She said getting alcohol and a few more things.

"I didn't save you cause Imma good person I did it cause I didn't want to have ta clean up a bigger mess." He said as his wall went up once again and his voice grew cold.

"regardless you saved me." She said going to grab his arm as he snapped it back.

"Don't touch me I ain't no pity case and I don't need ur help!" All she could see was red in his eyes and she would have lain if she said it didn't scare her. She backed away putting everything back in her bag and threw up her hands in defense.

"Okay I am sorry please just don't hurt me." She quickly spit the words out as he looked at her. Once she felt comfortable enough that he wasn't going to grab her neck again she grabbed the bag and started walking towards the room she claimed as her own.

"Damn woman tryin ta show me pity. Who does she think she is?" He questioned himself pulling out another cigarette and lighting it. "Dixions don't take no pity and we ain't no charity case." He said justifying snapping at Aurora. His eyes then met up with the pillows and blankets she had brought him earlier that evening. "_I also realized not everyone in this world deserves help." _Her comment played in his head a few times while he stared at the two empty bowls and bedding till he finally looked at his cigarettes and arm. 'Obviously she doesn't go around helping everyone but why me? Sure I saved her but I also almost killed her.' He thought thinking back to how easy it was to wrap his hand around her throat and squeeze. He shrugged his thoughts away and began thinking like his old self. 'You know I wonder how much supplies she has.' He thought knowing that he would need supplies if he was ever going to make it to his brother. He was also thinking of ways to get it from her preferably without hurting her yet his thinking was interrupted by a scream...a womans scream and it was from inside the building. "Damnit!" He said as he got up and hurried towards the scream.


	3. Something Bout That Girl

So I do not own ANY of the walking dead characters. currently only MERLE is in the story but I only own Aurora and Edward. Please leave me some feed back I would like to know how I am doing etc. :D Hope you enjoy!

When she got back to the office she threw her bag down and started to light all of her candles again. "As soon as the sun comes up I am gone." She said still shaken up by the pure rage the man she now knew as Merle harbored. "What the fuck happened? We were having a nice conversation then bam! it all went to shit and he looked like he wanted to kill me." She thought out loud trying to piece everything together. "Whatever it's not like I'm going to be around him anymore after sun rise so I might want to get some sleep." She quietly told herself as she wrapped up in a blanket.

She was almost asleep when a putrid smell hit her nose and wouldn't leave shortly followed by the slight sound of limp feet hitting the hard ground and barely audible snarls and growls. 'Must be passing by the widow.' She thought still a little uneasy about the smell being so strong. Minutes seemed like hours as she heard the moaning and foot steps getting louder and louder. SHe finally got up to check the window so her mind would be put at ease and what she saw almost gave her a heart attack.

There was only one walker by the window but starting at about ten feet away there were dozens of the lifeless corpses walking around mindlessly looking for their next meal. "Holy shit!" She exclaimed as she started packing up all of her things that she really needed. By time she shoved the last thing into her bag there were three walkers busting through the door and one walker in particular made the blonde stop in her tracks and drop to the floor. "NO!" She screamed as she looked at the tall lanky walker snarling and snapping at her. She couldn't find the strength to move and at this point she wasn't sure she wanted to. One of her best friends; her cousin who was much more like a brother stood there in front of her skin decaying eyes so lifeless they bore into her soul. The worst thing was right before everything went to shit that specific cousin was with her sister and seeing him in such a state completely broke her spirit of finding her sister alive. "No no no no." She kept muttering not paying attention to anything but the monster in front of her. "You shouldn't have to suffer like this it's not right." She said grabbing her machete and going towards the shell of her old best friend. She lifted it up and planted it deep in his skull. The cracking of the skull quickly turned her stomach as she yet again dropped to the ground letting loose her only chance of survival. She was clenching her stomach so she wouldn't up chuck everything in it not that there was much. The bile that would follow her throwing up would mostly be the bitter stomach acid that would just cause her to throw up even more eventually dry heaving.

She was quickly snapped out of her pity as a few more walkers busted through and lunged straight at her. She let out one more scream before she accepted the fact that she was done for. There was no escaping this fate and it was bound to happen. She closed her eyes and tried to find self piece before she would be torn apart but it never happened. "What the?" She said slowly opening her eyes to see yet again Merle Dixion had saved her. For a brief moment she had forgotten all about the man standing in front of her yelling for her to get up.

"GOD DAMMIT GIRL!" He said grabbing her arm with his good arm and slinging her over his shoulder holding her in place with his arm which was missing his hand. 'Times like this I wish I would have just waited on that roof.' He said grabbing her machete for protection as he took off the opposite way the walkers were coming.

The stress was too much everything that had happened was to much Aurora couldn't bare it. She was in shock and she knew it but she didn't know if the man who saved her life knew it. They were almost out of the door almost clear from all the monsters he did it he saved her but why? He could have just left her and not worried about the mess this time...She thought as her eyes grew to heavy to bare and she soon was passed out.

Merle heard the young girls breath become steady and low as her body eased a bit. 'She mustn't passed out.' He thought as he continued to trek the empty streets of the lifeless city. "I wonder where all the geeks are?" He thought out loud looking around to see nothing not even a soul. He knew they needed to get out of the city if they were going to survive then he stopped his train of thought and chuckled a bit. 'Look at me with all the "we's". Daryl would be proud that his bastard of a brother was trying to help.' He thought as he found a little store with a second story and a fire escape. "This will have ta do for the night." He said setting Aurora down and opening the door.

He quickly took out the three walkers that was standing around with the machete he had gotten from the young sleeping girl. "I like this thing." He said wiping it off and checking the store once again for anything he missed before dragging the sleeping body in. He set Aurora down against the wall that he was the furthest away from the door and then barricaded them in so he could go check the upstairs without a walker attacking her. "Brought you this far not gonna let you die now I guess." He said as he threw his jacket on her for warmth. 'Can't get that dirty.' He thought to himself quickly making an excuse for covering the young woman once he made a good argument with himself he quickly headed to the upper half of the store to see if there were any supplies or walkers. "Well I will be damned" There was no walker but a man who looked scared shitless.

"Who...who are you?" The man stuttered as he looked at the big muscular man who was not only missing one hand but wielding a machete in the other.

"That's not the right question to be asking." He said his voice scaring the guy even more. "Who the hell are you?"

"My name is Edward. I promise I pose no threat to you...I am just trying to live sir." 'Edward' was dressed in a once nice pair of jeans and a polo. Merle scoffed at the city boy. Just by his look you could see that he most likely came from money.

"Right. What 'qupitment is here?" He asked scanning the room looking for anything of use then he spotted two cots. "Alright Ed. if you want to live I expect you to do everything I say. Any funny business and I will not hesitate to kill you. Now I am going to go down stairs and grab my stuff. Don't lock that door or you will die son." Merle said looking the young man square in the eye not blinking once. Edward was stricken with fear to the point he couldn't move let alone think about defying the obviously bigger man than him. He wondered if the man had been to jail before. Most likely; people like that were always in and out of jail.

"Hey girl can you wake up?" He asked Aurora shaking her lightly as if afraid he would hurt her. He got her to flutter her eyes open and they looked tired. "We are safe we are in a building that has an upstairs that locks. You can rest up there I was wonderin' if you were able to walk right now." He said his voice softer than usual and she tried to get up but fell right back down.

When she fell she grew even more upset as she felt her eyes fill with tears and she shook her head no. She knew that the nights of not sleeping and days of not eating would catch up with her but she didn't know it would be this bad. "Hey...hey don't cry." Merle grew uneasy as he always was around crying. "It's alright I will just carry you is that alright?" He asked as she looked away and shook her head yes. He picked her and her bag up as he started for the stairs. She was light and even with a missing hand she was easy to lift.

When Edward saw the man appear with a young woman in his arms he just looked at her. She had her eyes closed and a few tears falling from her eye lashes. "Hey! She wasn't bit was she?!" He said immediately on edge even more at the thought of someone turning right in front of him. Merle narrowed his eyes at the city man as he sat her down.

"I suggest you stop talkin' before you piss me off boy." He said his voice grew cold once again as he took out his cigarettes. At that Edward gulped the lump in his throat and went back to staring at the window. Merle covered Aurora in his jacket once again before pulling the other cot in front of another window and sat on it himself. "before you starting thinking you can take me in my sleep you should probably stop. I don't need ta sleep." He said as Edward quickly looked down.

Aurora was asleep again finally getting the must need rest she had denied her body. It was a dreamless sleep all she knew was she was safe and that was enough for her. Hours passed as the sun began to rise and she stirred in her sleep causing Merle to open his half closed eyes and look at her. He was hoping she was okay he didn't know why but he cared for this girl. Maybe it was that she seemed like a hope in this time of darkness. Somehow holding onto her innocence and light in a world that had gone to shit. It was a new feeling for him but he wanted to protect her and it was even more strange since he had a feeling of an older brother and he had just met her.

"Hey." She said her voice small. "How long have I been sleeping?" She questioned looking at him. The man looked exhausted and she was ashamed. She had been sleeping this whole time while he watched over them protecting them.

"All night." He said pointing out the window at the rising sun.

"I'm sorry." She said looking even more guilty. He shook his head as to tell her not to worry about it as he lit a cigarette. "My bag?" She asked noticing it wasn't around her anymore and he pointed to the side of the cot she was sleeping in. She silently thanked god it was with her as she grabbed it and grabbed a cigarette of her own out. "I have more packs in here if you run out." She mentioned lighting it and sitting back on the cot.

"Those things are going to kill you two." A voice said as she jumped looking in the direction of it. There was a man who looked to be a few years older than her wearing a polo and pair of jeans.

"Who the fuck are you?" She said slowing her heart down.

"My name is Edward and sorry I didn't mean to scare such a beautiful flower as you." He said eyeing her as Merle rolled his eyes. "You're body-guard kind of over took my place last night." He said pointing to Merle. Merle smirked as she looked at him she could tell that he enjoyed scaring the younger man a lot.

"I just suggest you listen to him he can get mean." She muttered taking a puff of her menthol. "Merle you need sleep and now that you have saved me probably more than once last night I am going to clean your wound. No pity or charity case just helping the man who saved me." She said not taking no for an answer this time no matter if he screamed or choked her again. She knew he wouldn't be much of a fight now since he was half asleep from exhaustion. She grabbed a few bandages and some alcohol and quietly made her way to his cot sitting on the side of him taking his arm into her lap.

Merle saw that the woman who not even 24 short hours earlier was deathly afraid of him took his arm into her lap and began to peel off the make shift bandage out of an old plaid shirt. He winced at the pain knowing he needed to get it clean and he was really to tried to object. "This may hurt a bit." she muttered as she poured alcohol over his whole stump. "GOT DAMMIT MUTHER FUCKIN' SHIT EATEN PIG FUCKIN' HELL!" He screamed as the stump felt like it was on fire in the depths of hell. Edward jumped and Aurora stifled a laugh from seeing the big bad redneck in front of her. "Christ girl! Be careful I somehow think that was payback for when we first met." He said as she stifled another laugh.

"Quit being a baby." She said enjoying the fact that she had the urge to laugh. 'just means I'm still here mentally and physically.' She thought to herself as she gently cleaned the dead skin from the wound then wrapped it again. "Now take these" she motioned him to take the pills from her hands "and get some rest; I'll keep watch." She said grabbing the machete as he swallowed the handful of pills.

"I don't need rest and how are you supposed to keep us safe" He said his eyes looking at Edward and she quickly understood.

"Well You see you are a light sleeper and if anything happens I know you will hear it and spring into action." She said looking at him sternly. "I slept last night now you need to sleep." She said almost pleading him to get some rest.

"Alright but I am a VERY light sleeper." He said putting an emphasis on very looking at Edward who swallowed the lump in his throat. Merle then layed down against his better judgement putting his trust in someone. He hadn't done that in years for anyone but his little brother.

Soon Merle was knocked out and Aurora was staring out the windows watching the empty streets. 'Never thought Atlanta would be deserted.' She thought laughing as she remembered her sister and she used to visit this populated city every year to visit their cousin...the cousin who she just found. This past year "Rora" the name her cousin used to call her had to work so she couldn't get the time off leaving her sister to visit him alone. While they were gone the world ended and she knew she had to come here to find them. Then they would live out their days surviving off the land working as a team. Jake her cousin was ex military so he would protect them; Janey worked for a national park system and also knew how to trap hunt and forge so she would feed them; and Aurora had medical training and knew how to free run so she would fix wounds and have an easier time going to abandoned towns to scavenged. It seemed funny then but they always joked about the world ending and how they would be the perfect team. Many hours were spent talking about their plan and the last words Aurora heard her sister speak to her was to meet at their secret spot. She knew that the secret spot her sister was talking about was the quarry they had found by accident while getting lost in the woods just outside of Atlanta and she knew that is where she would find her sister.

"So how did a pretty little thing like yourself end up with a man like that?" Edward said breaking the silence and startling her.

"Chance." She simply said as she played with her lighter.

"Well I think us meeting was fate." He said moving a little closer to her. "You know we should take everything and leave him. I'm guessing by the look of your neck you two didn't agree when you got together and well I will never hurt you...unless you like it that way." He said brushing his fingers along her bruised neck and she looked at him in disgust.

"Get your damn hand off of me." She said standing up and realizing she was shorter than the man who stood before her. "I wouldn't go with a man like you even if you were the last man on earth. I haven't even known you for a day and I can tell you're no good."

"Well that's not nice but your guard dog is sleeping and I don't think he is as light of a sleeper as you two claim he is." He said inching closer to the girl.

She swallowed the lump in her throat before pushing away any negative thoughts. "You really want to test that?" She said cocky.

"Maybe I will...it's been a few months since I have even seen a girl." At that point she went to scream and he quickly grabbed her and held her mouth shut. 'Dammit.' She thought as she tried to thrash her body making any noise to wake the man sleeping besides her but it was no use the man who held her body down was too strong. She then realized...she didn't even know if the man besides her was a light sleeper either. 'Oh god please wake up.' She thought silently as the big man was kissing her neck and his one hand was wandering her body. Once he shifted himself to unbuckle her belt her knee was able to make contact with this man parts and then she ran for the sleeping figure across the room.

"Merle!" She cried out and he shot up wondering what the hell was going on he then saw the girl he had worked so hard to protect laying on the ground in a slump and it looked as if she was crying...sobbing actually. He could hear her uneven breathing as he scanned the room and saw the other man holding his junk rocking back and forth. "Dammit girl are you okay?" He said going over to her and bending down. "What happened?" He asked not sure if he even wanted to know the answer.

Aurora couldn't say anything her sobs replaced any words she thought she was able to form as she looked up at the older redneck and he looked at her his stone eyes scanning her face for any explanation. When he saw she couldn't talk he got up and went over to the other man in the room. "What the fuck did you do to her?" He said knocking the city boy down as he tried to get up.

"Nothing that bitch just kicked me for no reason and went running to you." He said as Merle's fist landed on the side of Edwards face.

"I don't really care much fer liars boy now tell me what did you do to her?" The younger mans eyes scanned the room looking for anything that would be able to help him but when he saw nothing he knew he was in trouble. Fear filled his body and he soon found himself not able to move an inch as Merle grabbed him by his throat. "I think you tried to take her against her will and well I ain't a saint but where I come from you ever touch a woman without her wanting you too. Come on we're gonna go for a little walk." He said dragging the younger man out the door and down the stairs making sure to barricade the still sobbing girl in the room.

The girl wanted to scream and tell Merle not to leave her but she knew she couldn't. All she saw was him grab her attacker and leave with him. She was alone and she knew she had to pull herself together. She knew she had to be strong no matter what in a world like this she wasn't able to just break down not again.

The door slowly creaked open as it startled her. Since Merle left she had managed to pull herself on the cot and smoke four cigarettes it was a bit much but for the circumstance she didn't care. Merle opened the door and he was alone the other man he left with was no where in sight and all though she knew what most likely happened she didn't care. He looked at her and instantly felt sorry; he had gotten the answers he wanted out of the younger man but he didn't know how he could help the young woman in front of him now. For a strange reason his heart was heavy as he knew she had been hurt by that man all because he had went to sleep. Normally it wouldn't bother him this much but it was something about that girl that made him want to protect her and he couldn't figure it out. "You k?" He asked sitting on his own cot after bringing it closer to hers.

Aurora sat in front of the closest thing she had to a friend now and knew he wasn't the emotional type. As much as she wanted to say no I'm not okay and break down she knew he wouldn't know what to do and she wasn't even sure he could take it. She shook her head yes hiding any emotion behind her green eyes so the world couldn't see it. Merle noticed the young girls eyes harden almost to a mossy stone. He wanted to help but he knew he couldn't he wouldn't even know how to begin. 'I guess the most I can do is just be here for her.' he thought as he grabbed his jacket for her once again. "Here cover up and get some rest. We're barricaded in and we both need sleep. We're leaving Atlanta tomorrow." They both laid on their cots only three feet apart in case something happened. Merle knew that he could have prevented the events that had unfold that night if only he had not fallen asleep. He blamed himself and he knew he didn't want to go to sleep yet if; in case anything were to happen he wanted to protect her now and he still had no idea why.


	4. Past Demons Present Regrets

Disclaimer: I don't own any Walking Dead Characters just my own.

Sorry for the ong wait I have been busy and what not 5th chapter should be up soon. Enjoy please R&R! :D

Merele woke up with sweat dripping from his body as he looked around the small room remembering what had happened last night and his dream...a dream that had haunted him for quite a long time. "To many mistakes in my life..." He said as he shook the dream of his prior life and looked around small room he was in only to see Aurora gone. "Ay girl?" He called out wondering if she had just uped and left him. 'Fine by me; work better by myself anyways.' He thought as he started packing up any supplies he found laying around.

"Morning." Aurora said walking back into the room as she went to freshen up. The girl standing before the old redneck looked completely different from the night before. Her eyes were full of the same spark they had been when he first met her and her face just had a certain aura about it. She had a smile plastered on her face and for now hopefully forever she pushed all of the thoughts and feelings from the past to days aside. This life was way to short to sulk and if you did you would more likely than not die.

"Mornin'." He said not wanting to bring up anything that had happened after all if she was happy it ment no emotional shit. "So we're gonna leave the city today. Go back to the group so you can stick with them 'nd I can get my brother back. After we reach the group you can stay with them." He said still packing supplies.

"Well aren't you staying once we get there?" The woman asked looking at him with her bright green eyes.

"Hell naw...not after 'em bastards left me." He said looking down at his stump. "Well lets get going." He said slinging the pack over his shoulder as Aurora grabbed her bag.

The pair quietly made their way out of the building and to the abandoned streets. "You know I don't see any walkers it's strange. Just a few days ago they were crawling everywhere and now it's like a ghost town." She said trying to strike up a conversation and Merele just grunted as he continued to walk. "Hey look a hunting shop! We can check here for any weapons." She said walking towards it grasping her hunting knife.

"Hey wait up and be careful." Merele found himself saying before his mind could catch up with him. 'What is it with this damn girl?' He asked himself still trying to find out why he cares for her so much. By time he caught up to her she was at the entrance of the store and peaking in.

"There are two walkers in there. We can each take one down then go about looking for any supplies." She said preplanning in her head how they should go about it but once she snapped out of her thoughts Merele had already split one of the walkers skull open and was working on the second one with the machete that was once her's. 'Wonder what happened to that thing.' She said to herself as she entered the store looking for anything to scavenge. She found a few odds and ends here and there yet the store looked as if it was already pillaged. "Not much here..." She said her voice trailing off as she saw a Military fix blade full tang combat ready bowie knife. Aurora has always had a thing for knives yet when she left she had to leave quite a few behind but the bowie in front of her was absolutly beautiful. It was a solid black with a dark black polish pakkawood handle. The sheath was also a black durable nylon with a belt loop and velcro securing strap for her thigh. She quickly took the knife and attached it to her side before she took it out and admired it. It truely was a piece of art and she knew it would help her survive in this new world.

"Nice knife." Merele mentioned startling the young woman and handing her a handful of dehydrated meals to stick in her bag. "There is more over here...figure the stuff sucks but at least it's nutrition and it's light. I'm suprised no one grabbed this shit." He said motioning for her to follow him to a display that was filled with the "astroaut food". She began to fill her bag with the food and a few other things that was laying around.

"How far is this camp you've been talking about?" She asked the silence becoming to much for her to bare.

"A few hours hike. Not to bad should make it there by sun down."

"Then you and your brother are leaving?" She said kind of disappointed. Yeah he tried to strangle her and at one point he scared the shit out of her but the man still saved her more than once.

"Yep." he said opening one of the meals and pouring a little bit of water in it handing it to her as he did the same for himself. "Eat this time. Ur gonna need the strength. It may not be a long hike but the sun is hot and it will take a lot out of you."

After eating in silence the pair did one more sweep of the store grabbing anything of value they may have missed and headed out. The journey was a silent one yet this time Aurora enjoyed it. Not having to talk let her focus one getting her mind right since the last two days haven't exactly been the best for her. She still wondered what had happened to her cousin yet once she did she immediently stopped remembering that her sister still had to be alive. It was the only thing keeping her going thus far and it wouldn't stop her now. She felt emense sorrow for loosing her cousin but she knew he probably threw himself in the line of fire for her sister. 'I know you're still out there Jamey.' She thought as she kept hiking before taking notice to the direction they were heading. "Where is your camp?" She asked her heartbeat speeding up a bit.

"I don't know it's by some quarry though." He said as her smile grew even more. "What's got you so smiley?"

"This is the way to the spot!" She said only hoping that it was the same place he was talking about. "In your group how many women were there?"

"I don't know six or so. Never really paid attention."

"Was there any red heads?" She said her voice getting even more hopeful.

"Not that I remember." He said as he kept on going she stopped her heart beat slowed but once she noticed she was falling to far behind she sped up to the man. "Thought you were gonna stay there." He said looking ahead.

"No." She said quietly as she slipped back into her thoughts. 'It can't be the same spot then. Plain and simple.'

Hiking became a routine for the next few hours one foot in front of the other moving along at a slow yet steady pace. The surrounding became increasingly more familiar to the young woman as her heart was filled with mixed emotions of hope and fear. 'If Jamey didn't make it here now where would she be? Is she alive or dead?" More thoughts plauged her mind as she tried to shake them running into Merele's back. "Umph" she fell backwards a bit from walking into his back as she muttered a quiet appology. When she looked up she noticed that it was their spot the special place they were supposed to meet at to surive together but no one was here. There wasn't even any signs of life besides a burnt out fire and several graves. "Graves? Are you sure you have the right place?" Why the fuck were there graves?! she thought fearing the worse for her sister.

"This is the right place." Merele said with a hint of sorrow? in his voice. "Well let's get to work." He said as he started to dig up the graves.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" Aurora said looking at the man as if he were a walker. "We can't deface those graves that's just not right!"

"Well I want to know if my baby brother is dead so either help or get out of the way! And by the sounds of your questions earlier there is someone you're looking for. Just cause I didn't remember a red head doesn't mean she didn't meet up with them later and she may be buried here too." He said stopping to look at the younger woman for a few minutes.

"I will help as long as we re-bury the bodies. It's not right to dig them up and just leave them. At least this way they still get their rest." She said throwing her bag and new knife to the side and began digging with Merele. "So once we are done here what do we do?" She asked her voice louder than she thought it would be.

"Well we look for any clues of the next place they went." He said wiping a bit of sweat from his brow finally unearthing the first body. "Well it's not my brother and not a redhead." By the time she looked he was out of that grave and onto the next. "So who is this redhead you're trying so hard to find?" He asked.

"I am suprised you are so talkative Mr. Dixion." She said unearthing the second grave which was a man with an extreamly chopped up head. She gagged a bit trying to hold down the food she had earlier. "What the fuck? You sure this group of yours is pleasent people?" She asked gesturing at the decomposing corpse. He stopped digging up the grave he was working on to look at the man's body.

"Not my brother." He said shrugging off her comment to begin working on the grave he was digging again.

"Who is it?" She asked as he shrugged going about his work.

"She's my sister." She said as a half an hour passed and the silence was sufforcating her.

"Huh?" He said looking at the young blond body he just dug up. "The redhead?"

"Yeah; older sister. She's 47 I was a surprise baby when my mom was 42 so Jamey had already grown up but she took care of me from when I was eight years old. We were always close despite our age differance. When I was born she was 19 and in college when she took me in she was 27."

"Why did she end up taking care of you?" He asked as she grew more distant and looked at the new unearth grave she had dug up. It was a woman that look a little younger than she was. It was weird to think that these people had just been alive; just been living and breathing like she was right now. Merele's question faded out of her mind as she began to think about everything else that was going on right now. She was digging up graves to make sure her sister and Merele's brother wasn't dead. How did the world go from paying bills being the biggest worry to having to fight tooth and nail to surive?

She sighed as she looked up and saw Merele back to work digging out one of the last three graves. "You think they are dead?" She asked getting back to work. He ignored her and kept digging it felt as if they had been here for at least three hours digging the graves and with each passing grave not showing either of their loved ones they were becoming ever so more hopeful that they were alive. Yes it was wrong to dig up graves of the once living but it was the only way to be sure that their looking wouldn't be in vain. She kept telling herself that flor the remainer of the graves which didn't hold Daryl or Jamey. She silently thanked god as they started filling the holes back in. It had been five long hours since they had got there and the sun was setting.

"Well you think we should set camp up here for the night? Seems as good a place as any." She said looking around and not seeing any more walkers. "Although the bodies did look as if they were attacked by think it's safe?"

"We will just have to keep a look out for any more of those fuckers. But this is going to be our best bet of a safe place in this short of time." He said throwing the last bit of dirt on the final grave. "Why don't you start a fire and I will look for anything we can use." He said pointing to a pile of fire wood left by the group. "We will rest tonight and tomorrow find anything we can to track them. Daryl and your sister are at least not in the ground so we will find them."

"How can you be so certain?" She said stacking the left over wood into a teapee format. "You have anything to light this with?" She asked as he tossed her a lighter.

"Because Daryl is a Dixion and whether he likes it or not only a Dixion can kill a Dixion. We're a tough breed and don't die easy." He said with a smug grin he took so much pride in his brother she could tell.

"So how old is Daryl?" She asked not wanting the silence to take over again.

"30 sumtin never really kept track. Hell I don't even remember my age sometimes." He said staring at the fire which was crackling in front of him.

"I see; so I take it you two are close?"

"Yep we are all each other have left only ones who are going to care about each other. Bastard would be lost with out me."

"Yeah I understand the feeling. That how it is with Jamey and me. Growing up I never had a lot but I had her and she always believed in me no matter what. Especially when it came to art; she was at every single art show bought me all the supplies I needed even got into arguements with my high school teachers about it." She said giggling as she remembered the countless times she would get called in because Aurora was drawining instead of paying attention in class.

"What about your parents?" He asked which made her look at the ground her feet digging into the dirt around the fire.

"I could ask you the same." She said looking up at him for a split second.

"Never were 'round it was always us." He said shruggig. "You?"

"Dad died when I was little..." She said not bringing up her mom at all. "Would you like some more "Ass"tronaut food?" She said emphasizing the ass.

He chuckled a little bit and nodded looking at the fire. "Yeah mind as well." She poured a little bit of water into each packet and handed him once.

"You're not as bad of a guy as you seem at first Mr. Dixion." She said taking a bite of the rehydrated food in her hand. "I just don't see why they would leave you handcuffed on top of a roof...No matter what no one deserves that."

"I guess I'm not the easiest person to get along with sweetcheeks." He said as she grimaced at the nickname. Once she was done eating Aurora said her goodnights and left Merele for the first watch of the evening.

The hours passed by so slowly he thought he was going to go crazy all he had was a fire to tend to and his mind to keep him company. He tried to stay away from the many memories that hurt to even think of. He blamed himself for a lot and knew that rationally there was nothing he could have done to stop a lot of the things that had happened when he was a child but he also knew he could have done more to protect his little brother. He could have been there to make it suck a little less and he could have treated him better. It was nights like this when the past plauged his mind when he would fill his body with toxins to just forget the world for a while. He despreatly wished for a hit of coke or even his pain meds at that moment he checked his bag and jacket for anything and was full of dispair when he came up empty. He threw all of the bags to the side once he was done and flew to his feet stalking around trying to stop the memories but they wouldn't stop. They just kept coming his body grew heavy and his breath shallow feeling the sweat pour down his face he snatched a bottle of water and dumped it over himsef drinking a little bit to moisten his rough and dry throat and mouth. Flash backs of a young Daryl running out the door to catch Merele before he left clouded his vision the young innocent boys pleading for him not to leave him alone filled his ears. His body finally gave way to the extreame weight he felt and he crippled to the ground yelling out.

Aurora awoke to a blood curling scream coming from where she had left Merele a few hours ago. "Oh shit!" She said pulling on her boots running towards him expecting to see him ripped to pieces by a walker but what she saw took her by surprise. She saw the tough and rough redneck crippled into himself convulsing and sweating purfusly. She knew what was happening she had seen it many times before inside and outside of her line of work he was having withdrawls. From what she had no idea but she did know that he would need help if he was to make it through the night. She rushed to the mans side taking off her plaid button up and ripping a chunk off dousing it in water. "Merele can you hear me? Give me any sign." She said placing the make shift rag on his forehead peeling his eyelids open. His eyes were in the back of his head leaving nothing but white eye balls riddled with tiny red veins. "Don't worry you're going to make it through this." She mummbled taking his head and laying it in her lap.

Moments went by and the convulsing slowed to a hault as she took the chunk of shirt and doused it in water again. "Don't hurt him you bastard." He mummbled

"What?" She said not knowing if he was talking to her or not. He didn't move again so she figured he was dreaming or remembering something. She sat there with the man in her lap reapplying water to the rag when needed checking his breathing and vitals the best she could every few minutes. He stirred lightly as he shifted positions which she figured he was finally asleep. 'At least he can get some much needed rest.' She thought looking around to see if there was any walkers luckily there were none.

The rest of the night she starred at the embers of the once dancing fire and thought to herself about nothing in particular trying to stay away from any painful memories. It was a quiet night and the sky was full of little lights some brighter than others that dimmly lit the field around her. There was no moon tonight but the darkness didn't seem to bother her this night. "You better be out there Jamey." She said quietly looking around at the spot she worked so hard to get to.

Merele awoke to the sun in his face and a cool breeze passing by. "What the hell?" He said feeling something under his head he pulled at it and found Aurora's bag. He looked around not remembering much from the night before he shook the memories that still loosly clung to his mind and began to look around.

"Be careful don't move to quick." Aurora said as she handed him a bottle of water and food. "You need to take it easy for a bit. How ya feeling?" She asked as he chugged the water. He grunted in response to her statement and question he knew what happened but he didn't know if she had seen. She didn't press him for information she just sat by and stayed quiet as the two ate. The silence that filled the air wasn't the deafening silence they had been experiencing but it was a comfortable one. They now realized they each had their own demons and were very content with not letting them out.

"What eh...what happened last night?" Merele asked his head still foggy. She looked at him then looked back at her food trying to find her voice.

"You ummm were going through a withdrawl." She said her voice barely above a whisper.

"You helped?" He stated more than asked there was something in his voice it sounded as if it surprised him.

"I did what I could." She said taking a sip of water.

"Why?" He asked his eyes starring intensly at her. "I'm nothin' but a fuck up why help o'le Merele out? Should have just left me be I'm not worth the effort. I ain't done nothin' but bad." He said the memories that caused him emmense pain coming back into his mind.

"I don't believe that." She said causing him to look at her.

"You don't even know." He said and a quiet swept over the two.

The young woman decided not to press the man anymore and got up from the sitting position she was in. "I'm going to look for clues to where they went. Possibly go to the lake get some water and wash my face. You just need to rest." She said sending a very small smile his way before taking off. The camp didn't look like it was rushed packed. There weren't things lying everywhere just a few things left in piles here and there. 'Please let there be a sign.' She said as she was heading to the lake. There was nothing that left a clue to where the group went and she wasn't going to give up but for now she wanted to wash her face. She sat on the water line and splashed some water over here face letting the coolness from the lake water release any stress she had. 'Everything will be okay.' She told her self as she started scrubbing any dirt and grime she could get off. Once her face was particially clean she filled a few containers with water and got up to head back to the make shift camp she shared with the older Dixion but was stopped dead in her tracks. "Merele!" She screamed as loud as she could so her could hear her before running in his direction.


	5. Family Reunion

SOOOOOO sorry for the long wait computer was down. I do however have four chapters to upload with more coming something this week! :D

I do not own walking dead or it's characters only my own! R&R and all that good stuff please. Thank you!

Merle heard the young woman scream his name which caused him to jump up no matter how weak he felt and start off towards the direction he heard her voice. Sooner rather than later he saw Aurora running towards him. "You okay?" He said grabbing her noticing tears running down her face. 'Oh god.' He thought she must have found her sisters body. "Girl talk to me!" He said shaking her lightly as he looked at her face. She was smiling.

"Merle follow me!" She said grabbing his good arm and dragging him back to the lake. When they got there she pointed to a little rock cliff that had writing on it that read;

"Rore Went to the CDC in Atlanta. Come Find me! I know you can Love ya.

-MeMe."

"That's her Merle! She is alive! It's even in her writting" She said squealing with joy jumping up and down.

"Damnit girl I thought you were in trouble!" She yelled immediently causing the girl to stop. She looked down at her feet as she mummbled an apology. He noticed that her whole deminer had changed and he mentally kicked himself in the ass. "It's K at least we know where they are." He said noticing something in the tree next to the note and a smirk came across his face. "Well I'll be damned." He said pulling a knife from the bark. "It's Daryl's knife." He said showing Aurora.

"He must have left it for you." She said her smile reappearing. "Well shall we go?!" She exclaimed excited for the journey ahead of them.

"Lets." He said motioning her to lead the way.

The group took a few minutes to pack up their belongings as they were on the road again heading back the way they just came.

The trip was quiet and the two didn't feel the need to talk Aurora was just happy that Merle was strong enough to make the journey. She knew the day after a with drawl that bad could be very hard on a persons body. "How ya feeling?" She asked walking next to the redneck.

"I'm alright. Never did get to say thanks." He said and she took that as him saying thanks.

"It's okay plus you saved me a few times already." She said repositioning her bag on her side.

Hours went by as they were walking along the highway seeing a few walkers here and there they were quick to take them out and continue on their way. Aurora didn't want to admit it but she wanted a break very badly. "Can we take a break? I am soooo tired." She said putting a little childish tone to her voice causing Merle to smirk.

"Geesh want a bottle to?" He said as they stopped.

"Depends; what's it got in it?" She said winking his way. "Whiskey perferablly."

"Well geesh girly; that wouldn't help. Pro'lly knock you out."

"What ever _Merellleeee_ I could drink you under the table." She said tossing her bag to the side of the highway sitting on the side of the road. "What would you be doing right now if the world hadn't gone to shit?"

"Pro'lly be getting shit faced fuck a few chicks fall asleep. Shit I don't know never had any idea what I would do. What about you?"

"Working in a tattoo parlor buying my time till I could open up my own shop. Work on art." She said smiling slightly. "You sound like you had such fun."

"Yep me and my brother had a nice bacholors life. No worries no naggin nuthin!" He said smiling at the memories from a life that seemed so far away.

"So I take it you two weren't big on steady relationships?"

"Nope Fuck 'em and dump 'em. Never saw the need to keep 'em around all harlots any ways."

"That's always nice!" She said as she looked at the highway ahead of them wondering if they would ever get to the cdc in time to catch up with her sister and his brother. "You think they will still be there by time we get there? I mean Atlanta is over run and what if the CDC doesn't have anything? I mean they won't stay there. They could be long gone or worse..."

"We'll find 'em. even if they left. You're sister left that big note so who's to say she won't leave another one." He said staring down the graveyard of a highway with her. "But we will never know if we don't get going...plus there's some cars up here so we may be able to get a ride. This walking shit is for the birds." He said grabbing his bag and walking ahead of the young woman leaving her to gather herself before fallowing.

Thirty minutes after the two's break they found a graveyard of cars that were stranded sometime between the present and the end. "Alright let's split up find anything we can use and try and find a car with keys or any sign of gas." Aurora said motioning Merle to go one way and her another. Aurora was looking through the trunk of an abandoned sedan when she heard something in the distance she turned to look and see what it was and was caught looking at a carpool of various vehicles heading towards her. "Oh shit." She muttered to herself turning to run straight into Merle holding his finger to his lips.

"Shh. Just let 'em pass." He whispered ducking under a truck as she ducked under the sedan she was just searching through.

'Shit shit shit shit shit.' She thought to herself as she tried to concintrate not wanting to think who was in those vehicles. "Have they passed?" Aurora said to Merle throwing a little stone to get his attention.

When he shook his head no she laid hers back down and waited for what seemed like an eternaty. Occasionally she would glance at the older redneck who was starring at the convoy hoping they passed without any problem. But their hope was shot down when all of the cars came to a screeching hault at the sign of smoke coming from one of them about 20 feet away from the two. "Damnit...Just be quiet and let them do their thing." He told her hoping it would be a few minute fix and done.

Aurora was watching as the group got out and started looking around through the cars searching for anything useful and gas. She felt her side as to make sure her bag was still attached and luckily it was. 'Wouldn't want any of them finding that.' She said grabbing a hold of her blade to keep her nerves down. An externaty seemed to pass as they waited without setting off any clue to their position.

"Walkers!" She heard someone yell as everyone scurried under the cars they were closest to. She looked at Merle who looked at her and motioned for her to stay were she was and she had every intention on doing so until she saw a little blonde girl run into the forest near by.

'Damnit!' She thought to herself quietly taking off after her not causing any attention to her self. "Hey little girl?" She said quietly following her trail the best shle could with the minimum tracking skills she had.

"Merle looked over to where his compainion once laid and noticed the young woman gone. "Damnit!" He said under his breath about to go find her until he heard something that stopped him in his track.

"Rick where is she? Where's my baby girl?" A woman asked the man coming from the woods.

"She's not back yet?" He replied and Merle knew the voice from anywhere it was the son of a bitch that locked him on the roof top and left him for dead.

"Mind as well take care of unfinished business then go find her." He said to himself promising that he would go look for his lost partner as soon as he was done. "Well well well if it isn't officer friendly? Leaving more people behind I see?" He questioned appearing from under the truck he once hid startling everyone.

"Come on she is a little damn girl she couldn't have gotten that far!" Aurora said to her self following foot prints that she found which were to big for an adult. "Hey little girl?" She said loud enough for anyone around her to hear but not to loud. 'Well you did it this time. You left the only person you had found in a few weeks to chase a strange little girl into the woods...if only it was a little white rabbit." She thought to herself laughing slightly. "Curiousity often leads to trouble." She said to no one going deeper into the forest still following the heavy fresh footprints.

"Merle?" Daryl was the first one to speak at the sudden appearance of the older redneck. "Is that you?" He said walking towards the figure.

"Well hello baby brother...Miss me?" He questioned a smug grin on his face.

"We went back for you...you weren't there." He said.

"Yeah I know...trust me I know." He said holding up his arm for the whole group to see the now healing nub.

"I didn't mean to drop the key.." TDog started but was cut off by Merle with a sneer.

"Doesn't mean shit what you didn't mean nigger. What happened happened." He said hatred running through his veins.

"We all went back for you." Rick said trying to defuse the situation.

"Like I said that don't mean shit!" He said walking towards the group. "What happened happened." He said only to be stopped in his tracks by a scream and it wasn't any scream it was Aurora's. "God damnit!" He said looking to the woods.

"That didn't sound like Sophia!" Carol said finally speaking up so the whole group could hear her.

"It wasn't...it was Aurora." Merle said as an older red head stepped forward.

"Aurora who?!" She asked with big hopeful eyes that caught Merle's attention right away.

"Never knew her last name..." He said wondering why her red hair caught his attention so much. 'She's my sister.' He hears Aurora's voice remembering what she said when he asked who the redhead she was going on about was. "Is ur name Jamey?" He asked wondering how he remembered.

"Yeah...why?" She said becoming more interested by the man in front of her.

"'Cause Aurora had a sister named Jamey she was tryin ta find. Found a note when we was at the quarry sayin' she was headed to the CDC so we followed." He said and was interupted by the woman throwing her arms around him.

"That's my Aurora!" She said looking at the group she had become quite fond of. Then the realization hit her. "Oh no; that's my Aurora!" She said looking at the woods wondering where her sister was.

"Shit!" The blonde exclaimed dodging the walker by mere inches as she fell down a small hill letting out a blood curdling scream. "Well if that didn't attract all the walkers in the area I don't know what will." She said dusting herself off grabbing her knife from her thigh. "Come on bastard." She said this time lunging at the dead decomposing corpse before her sinking her new blade in the already soft skull hearing the bitter sweet crunching sound followed by the suckling sound of the blade releasing from the skull brain matter and black blood attached to it. She continued trekking through the woods clearly just as lost as the little girl she was trying to find. "Now I can't even find my way back." She said marching ahead listening for any sign of life...or death.

'At least I got the day on my side.' She said looking at the still bright sun. "Little girl?" She asked out loud again feeling bad that the poor little girl was even lost in the first place. 'I hope she is okay.' She thought to herself looking around the woods coming to a clearing. She didn't know the young one but she didn't have to to know that one little kid or human being for that matter deserves to be lost in this world alone.

"Alright we have to look for the two girls." Rick said getting everyone's attention. "Which way did Aurora go?" He said turning to Merle.

"The hell if I know all I know is that she was there under a sedan next to the truck I was under then she was gone."

"Well she probably went after Sophia...If I know my sister she would have ran for her as soon as she saw her run to the forest."

"But that's even if she saw Sophia run into the forest." Rick said turning to look at Jamey.

"True but I think that's our best bet."

Merle didn't join into the conversation he just started trekking to the woods to begin his search and rescue mission. 'Fucking made sure this chick wasn't dead this far and we said we were gonna get back to our kin. Don't know why the dumb broad had to go run off into the woods any how.' He thought to himself as he made his way past the first line of trees.

"Merle where are ya goin'?" Merle stopped at Daryl's question turning to look at him.

"I'm going to find that girl and if I can possibly the little one too." He said

"Why do you care?" Daryl retorted remembering a time where he needed his older brothers help and he was no where to be found.

"'Cause she has medical trainin' and in case you haven't noticed I kinda need it." He said holding up his stump of an arm for his brother to see.

"Hey Dixions!" Rick called and they both turned towards the voice. "You gonna help look?" He asked as the whole group started towards them. Both Dixion brothers gave a simpe nod and waited for the group Merle glarring daggers at the group who left him a mere two days before.

"Little girl?" Aurora asked entering the house she had found a few minutes earlier. She stopped to listen to any sound of movement and didn't hear any so preceeded into the abandoned house. She was walking into the kitchen when she heard a slight cry coming from the pantry. "Little girl?" She asked again moving slowly towards the sound. At that moment she was scared to even open the door afraid of what she might find because in this day and age you just didn't know she could have found the girl or worse she could have found the girl and she could have been biten. Life stripped away from her at such a young age she didn't know how young but she knew she was nothing but a child. She pushed the negative thoughts from her mind as she quietly walked towards the pantry and threw the door open.


	6. Chapter 6

I do not own walking dead or it's characters only my own. Please R&R and all that good stuff!(:

Aurora opened the double door to find not just the young blonde she ran into the woods after but an even younger red head also. "Don't hurt us please." The little blonde said so quietly Aurora could barely hear her.

"I'm not going to I promise. I saw you run into the woods away from your group I followed you to bring you back." She said with a reassuring smile. "Now what is your name?" She asked as the two young children didn't move.

"Sophia..." She said her mouse like voice barely breaking the surface.

"Well Sophia who's your little friend?" She asked smiling at the younger red head.

"I don't know I just found him."

"Hi honey...can you tell me your name?" She said to the tear streaked little boy. When she didn't get an answer she nodded her head understanding that he must not want to talk. "Where is your mommy and daddy?" She asked trying to figure out where the little boy came from and how he was alive this long. This time she was graced with a response of the young boy when he pointed to the two dead bodies laying in the kitchen both with a bullet through the brain and bite marks on thier body. 'Oh my god...' She thought as she turned her sorrow filled eyes back to the little boy in front of her. "It's okay little one...I'm here to save you" She said looking at Sophia too. "Both of you." With that she grabbed the two children and pulled them close to her enveloping them in a hug.

"Where's my mommy?" Sophia asked quietly after a few minutes.

"She is back at the road we are going to find her tomorrow...as for tonight it is getting to late." She said looking at the sun which was beginning to fade out behind the trees. "We are going to sleep here then bright and early go find them." She said giving the children a reassuring smile. "You both are safe with me now stay here while I go check the upstairs and find us a place to sleep."

"Damnit where can they be?" Jamey asked searching for any sign of her little sister or young Sophia. "Daryl you find any tracks?" She asked as he gave her a grunted response. "I say we split up...some of us should head back the sun is about to set." She said eyeing the sky. "I will take a group to look further. Daryl and Merle you can take a group to head back to the cars." She said taking charge which caught the group by surprise seeing as she was quiet the two days she was with them.

"Who put you in charge girly?" Merle asked with an unknown expression on his face.

"My little sister is one of the people we are trying to find...She is my responsibility." She said staring back at the rough redneck.

"Who says you're any good at tracking?" He shot back. "Getting even more people lost wouldn't be a good idea right now."

"I know these woods like the back of my hand. My cousin and I used to come out here all the time...plus I worked for the government in these woods before." She said her eyes never leaving his. "Plus like I said she is my sister. and you're right getting more people lost wouldn't be a good idea that is why you and Daryl should lead a group back. Scout that way look for anything that might show where they went."

"I don't much appreciate being told what to do." He started with stepping up to her but Daryl stopped him.

"Come on Merle. We got some talking to do anyways." Daryl said as his brother looked at him defeated. He usually wouldn't let Daryl or some woman win but he had missed his baby brother and needed to catch up with him.

"Alright who's going where?" She said smiling slightly at the defeated redneck.

"I'm going to look." Rick said stepping up first. "It's my fault she's lost so I'm going to find her." He said explaining himself to Lori as Carol averted his eyes not wanting to show that she blamed him for this.

"I'm going with Rick..." Shane stepped up looking at his best friend.

"I wanna go with dad and Shane." Carl said looking to his parents for approval. "Please; Sophia is my friend and I want to be there when you find her..." He said begging his parents. Lori looked at her son then back at her husband about to object when Rick opened his mouth first.

"I don't see why not...Shane Jamey and I will be able to watch him." He said looking at Lori who was now scolding him.

"Fine." She said giving in looking at her son not wanting to be the bad guy...not now.

"Alright so it is settled. We will all meet back at camp soon. You guys be safe." Jamey said motioning for her small group to follow her as the other group took off in the direction of the highway.

Aurora crept up the stairs as quietly as she could to look for a place to sleep. Once she reached the top she unsheathed her now trusty blade and slowly made her way into the first room. "Looks clear." She said listening for any sound that an abomination was lurking around. "Hmmm. Boys parents must have cleared it out." She said as she walked back down the stairs and quickly went to the front door locking the entrance. "Alright it's safe...come on lets go find a room." She said motioning for the kids to follow her.

"What's your name?" Sophia asked as they headed up the stairs.

"Aurora."

"That's a pretty name. I really like it." She said with a smile.

"Well thank you I really like yours too...sounds like the name a princess would have." Aurora said as the young blonde giggled.

"Where are you from?" Sophia asked walking behind the older blonde.

"I am from Ohio originally. Moved to Tennesse when I was thirteen though been living there ever since. How about you?" She said enjoying the fact that Sophia was talkative which ment that she must have felt a little safer.

"Atlanta all my life." She said smiling proud of where she was from. "Did you have a group? You know before you came to save me?"

"Kind of. I was traveling with another person...kind of a jerk but he's a good guy."

"Oh...we had a whole group. There was my mom my friend Carl and his two parents then a few other people." She said looking around the room they were now sitting in. "Do you have any family left?" She asked her big blue eyes looking at Aurora.

"I have a sister somewhere out there. Still trying to find her though." She said looking from Sophia to the young boy. "How are you holding up buddy?" She asked gently wanting to see if he would speak at all. He just stared at her with his big grey eyes not blinking. The saddness on his face was to much for the woman to bare so she enveloped him in a hug smoothing his hair down trying to do anything to comfort the younger child. "It's okay you don't have to be scared anymore. I won't let anything bad happen to the either of you." She said looking from one child to the next. "Are you guys hungry?" She asked as they both nodded the young boy still attached to her. "Well good because I have lots of food! Who wants ravioli's?" She asked taking two cans of chef boyardi from her bag. They both rose their hands as she put the boy back on the bed. "Alright well let me get these open for you two and we will see about getting you some juice too." She said pulling the lids off of the cans and handing them to the children before going back through her bag and pulling out two forks and a couple of juice boxes.

"Wow look at that deer dad!" Carl exclaimed as they came upon a clearing where a buck stood just a few feet from them.

"Go on look at it." Rick said to his young boy urging him to get closer. Rick Jamey and Shane stood there watching the twelve year old and the deer and for a moment life was good. There was no sign of any walkers and the rare beauty before them showed them that not all was lost. No; things could be serine again it just took a little hard looking to find it.

The moment ended just as soon as it began when a man saw the deer standing there it was nothing more than dinner for everyone back at the farm he was staying at unfortuntaly he did not see the young boy standing behind the deer and as he lined up his cross hairs on the majestic animal and shot rang out through out the forest and not one but two bodys dropped that afternoon.

"NOOOO!" Rick screamed lunging for his son catching him mere seconds before he hit the ground. There was blood gushing from his chest as the hunter saw what he did.

"Oh my god!" He exclaimed running to the man and his downed boy. "I am so sorry I did not see him there! I swear to god! Oh jesus please let him be okay." He said talking a mile per minute as the other man watched his best friend hold his son.

"What did you do?!" He lunged for the hunter taking grasp of his collar.

"At the farm...there is a doctor. He can help your boy. I am so sorry I didn't mean to hurt him. Oh god." He said clearly regretting his mistake.

"Rick come on. It's worth a shot." Jamey said shaking herself from her shock and going for the man who laid there with his unconsious son. "Rick get up...he still has time!" She said snapping Rick out of his own calatouses state.

"Where is the farm?!" Shane questioned the hunter shaking him violently.

"It's about a mile or so south...I'll show you the way but I don't think I can run that fast. Just go straight and when you get to the farm ask for Hershel tell him what happened and tell him Oatis sent you." He said tripping over his words scared of the man in front of him. Jamey and Rick took off in the direction Oatis pointed to followed by Shane as the hunter gathered his things and followed suit.

Aurora put the children to sleep shortly after the sun went down the sound of the gun shot she heard earlier that day still ringing in her ear. "God Merle I hope you didn't get yourself into trouble." She said to herself opening up the window in the hallway and lighting up a cigarette. She knew she shouldn't have left him under that truck but she knew that the little girl that ran into the woods didn't have any chance of survivng on her own and no matter how stupid it was she needed to go help.

'I really hope I can find my way back to the highway.' She thought looking over the wooded area that surrounded the lone house they were in. 'Wonder if Merle left or if he is looking for me.' She asked no one knowing that the tough redneck probably took off and was happy about it. She just about finished her ciggarette as she felt a slight pull on her pant leg startled she looked down and saw the little boy.

"I scared." He simply said his big grey eyes looking up at her.

"You don't have to be scared. We are safe here I promise."

"That's what mommy and daddy said too..." He said his eyes drifting off into space.

"It's okay little guy." She said picking him up in her arms. "How old are you?"

"Five." He said playing with a bit of her hair.

"Wow you're such a big boy!" She said as he smiled a little bit as she began heading towards the room to put him back to sleep. "When were you left alone?" She asked wanting to know how a five year old survived even one night alone.

"Yesterday." He said innocently.

"Well you will never be alone again. I promise." She said putting him back into bed with Sophia.

"Pinky promise?" He asked holding out his pinking and she took his pinky in hers and shook on it.

"Get some sleep little man." She said as she sat against the wall watching over the two children as he fell back into a deep slumber this time not waking up.

The sun slowly began to shine through the window Aurora was smoking out of and she figured she would let the kids sleep until they woke up. She found herself wondering if she was ever going to find her sister or was it a pipe dream. "Are you still out there?" She asked the air which was filled with the sweet simple smoke around her. Truth was she didn't know if she was ever going to find her sister or if she was already dead walking around as some decomposing corpse just looking for anything alive to fill her endless hunger. She quickly stripped that thought from her mind deciding that she had to believe that her sister was still alive.

"Aurora..." Sophia's small voice came from the room and she turned around flicking the butt out the window.

"Yes dear?"

"Are we going to find my mommy today?"

"Why yes we are. As soon as the little man wakes up we are going to eat then head out to find them." She said smiling at the young girl who smiled back. It seemed as soon as she mentioned the boy she heard a crying coming from the room and dashed in to see him sitting up on the bed rubbing tears away from his eyes. "Are you okay?" She said both girls rushing to his side.

He nodded his head no as Aurora looked down at the kid. "Bad dweam..." He said as he started crying again holding his arms out to her so she could hold him.

"It's okay it was only a dream it is all okay..." She said rocking him and rubbing his back. After a few minutes she got him to calm down and grabbed more food out her bag handing them to the kids along with water. "Alright as soon as we eat we shall head back to the road. Are you both good to walk?" She asked as they both nodded. "All I ask is that you hold hands at all time and stay very close to me. Think you two can manage that?" She asked with a slight smile as the two nodded their heads. "Good." She said as she continued eating her dehydrated food.

"What is this stuff?" Sophia asked looking up from her food with curious eyes.

"Why it is astronaut food my dear and you have to eat it to grow up big and strong." She said looking at the two kids.

"Ooooo; it taste like butt!" She exclaimed knowing that she had to eat it. If there was one thing Sophia knew it was to take what you could get because there was always people with less. Aurora laughed at the young girls comment and the boy did too. At the fact that she made them both laugh she smile. One thing that she always enjoyed was making others laugh especially her mommy.

Jamey barely slept all night seeing as she now knew her baby sister was alive but lost in the woods Carl was shot and Sophia was lost also. She needed to find her sister even though she knew that the wooded area around the farm was dense. "She's not stupid she would have found shelter." She told herself watching the driveway as the rest of her group came pulling in and she ran to meet them. "Did you find anything?" She asked Dale as he was stepping out of the RV and shook his head.

"No I'm afraid not. We left a sign for your sister and Sophia if they make their way back to the cars. Daryl volunteered to go out and search again and I believe Merle is going with him to cover more ground." He said looking at the woman in front of him. "How's Carl?" He asked looking at the big farm house.

"He's about as good as he can be..." She said her eyes looking into his. "Rick and I were able to give blood and Shane and one of the doctors men went to get supplies. Shane made it back but the other man didn't make it. Threw his life on the line for Shane to get back here." She said her eyes looking away. "He should be fine though. Geeze to bad Rora wasn't here...she's a nurse." She said smiling at the thought of her baby sister graduating college.

"How's T?" He asked pulling her away from her fond memory.

"He's fine. Has antibiotics in him and is resting." She said as she motioned for the house then turned away to head towards the Dixion brothers. "Hey I heard you guys were going to cover more ground today?" She said looking at the two brothers getting out of their truck.

"What's it to you Sugar Tits?" Merle said looking the redhead up and down.

"Well in case you forget it is my sister out there and I want to help." She said looking from one to the other.

"We don't need help. Work better on our own." Daryl said speaking up looking at the woman.

"Still..." She began but was cut off by Merle.

"You heard the man woman. We ain't got time for your help." He said as they both headed towards the woods.

"Asshole." She mumbled under her breath heading back for the farm house.

"So how has life with the camp been since I was left little brother?" Merle asked as they were walking through the woods.

"Quiet." Daryl said with a small smirk on his face.

"Yeah I bet. Betcha didn't even miss 'ol Merle. Betcha just moved on not caring." He said looking to his brother.

"That's not true an' you know it. We went back for you. You were just to stupid to wait." Daryl snapped back hating that his brother would even suggest that he didn't care. "Who's this broad we're tryin' ta find anyways and why do you care?" He said breaking the silence that had set in.

"Met her in Atlanta...she helped with my hand figured I owe her that." He said still stalking foward not bothering to look at the younger Dixion.

"Since when do you care 'bout anyone but yourself?" Daryl snorted stealing a glance at his brother who usually didn't bother helping anyone.

"I don't." Merle snapped back defensive.

"Sure ya don't." Daryl said as they both continued on in silence.

"Alright stay low and be quiet." Aurora said to the two young children as they stalked through the forest being cautious of any walkers that could be near by. They had left the house a good hour and a half ago and was making their way back towards the highway or at least that is what Aurora believed they were doing.

"I don't remember any of this..." Sophia said.

"It's okay doll we are going to be fine. I promise we will get back to your mom." She said looking around trying to find anything that looked familiar.

"Find anything yet?" Merle asked taking a puff of his cigarette. Daryl nodded as he took the cigarette to take a drag.

"Who the fuck knows where they went." He said taking a seat next to his brother lowering his head in defeat. "Don't even know why she ran off in the first place." He said looking out into the woods.

"Who the little girl?" Merle asked letting Daryl have the cigarette he just stole and lit another one. "Why do you care so much?"

"'Cause Merle she was only twelve. Still to young to know to do anything bad plus she don't deserve any more bad not after what it seemed she had to go through with that bastard dad of her's. Good ridance to him." He said quietly taking another hit.

"What was wrong with her dad?"

"He was like ours. Drunk and good for nothing. Hit the mom I don't know if he hit the girl but it seemed as if he didn't so she at least had that going for her. But I guess cause I know what it's like being lost in the woods. Cept I didn't have anyone looking for me and I was eight so I would say she has an advantage." He said throwing the butt of the cigarette to the side and getting back up. "Well we have a few more hours 'fore dark I say we keep looking."

"Alright I'm following you." Merle said tossing his cigarette in the same direction Daryl threw his.

"Rora they are right behind us!" Sophia screamed as Aurora hurried and pushed her into the tree high enough to where the walkers couldn't reach.

"You don't come down for anything! You hear me...you protect him and yourself. Climb higher into the tree if need be. If I'm not back in thirty minutes you take off south and you hide." She said handing the young girl her bag and flash light.

"Don't leave us!" The young boy shouted as she turned and kicked one of the walkers to give her a bit more time before running leading the corpses away from the two children.

Six or seven walkers were hot on her trail as she tried to duck and dodge them with no avail. "Damnit don't you things give up?" She said to herself as she saw her chance to loose a few. There was a steep slope in front of her and she knew if she jumped and grabbed on to a branch some wouldn't stop and would fall. She knew it was her only chance so she began running faster to make the gap and before she knew it she jumped barely grabbing the branch and a few walkers tumbled down the slope. "Four that shouldn't be bad." She said looking at the remaining monsters that were left clawing at the tree trying their damnest to get to the fresh meat. She looked around at her surroundings and upon noticing the trees had huge branches that were touching she began to climb towards them seeing a camp site in the distance. "Good a place as any." She said making her way east towards the bright yellow tent being careful not to tip off her position the the walkers which already seemed to loose interest.

The children sat in the tree huddled together as Sophia looked at the stop watch Aurora had given her. Thirty minutes had come and gone so she knew that her and her young companion had to do what Aurora said and leave the saftey of the tree. "Come on Red." She said climbing down the tree then helping the little boy down.

"We can't leave her!" He said looking at the young 12 year old with pleading eyes.

"We have to! She told us to...I don't want to leave either but I told her I would protect us." She said grabbing his hand and leading him south which was the way the compass that was attached to the flashlight was pointing. Sophia was scared but she didn't want to be after all it's not just her now and she understood that she had a kid even littler than her depending on her finding them shelter and when she heard the loud clap of thunder she knew she needed to find it fast.

"What was that?" The boy she reffered to as Red asked his voice small and his hand grasped firmly in hers.

"It was just thunder don't you know what thunder is?" She asked the visably scared boy when he shook his head she smiled and stopped him for a minute. "My mommy always said thunder is just God and his angels in heaven bowling...nothing more. And lightening is just them getting a strike!" She said as he smiled.

"Do you think my mommy and daddy are playing too?!" He asked eager to know that his mom and dad are bowling in heaven and when she nodded her head yes he just imagined them wearing bowling shoes that were funky colors with wings.

"Lets get going." She said as she started walking again. "What's your name anyways?" She asked looking forward to find any shelter.

"My name is Brenden." He said walking to keep up with the pace. Soon the two children found a small shed to bunker down in with just enough time to get in the door before the rain started coming down and before they could shut the door a voice made Sophia stop in her tracks.

"Sophia?"


	7. Chapter 7

I do not own Walking Dead or it's characters only my own. Please R&R and all that good stuff! :D

Daryl looked up at the two children who just entered the shed Merle and he had found for quick protection against the storm with surprise. "Daryl!" She said running to hug the older man she knew from her group. "Where's my mommy?!" She asked looking from him to another man she vaugly remembered from somewhere.

"She's okay we're all camped out at a farm I came to find you." He said a little shocked at the little girls hug. "Once the storm passes we are going to leave." He said starring at the young boys piercing grey eyes. "Who's you're little friend?"

"This is Brenden...I found him in a house and we can't leave! We have to find Rora!" She said and Merle looked at the kid.

"Blonde girl?" He asked as the young girl nodded. "Where did she go?" He asked looking to see she had her bag.

"Well we were getting chased by the monsters and Auora put us in the trees then ran away to lead them away from us. She said wait 30 minutes and leave if she wasn't back."

"How long ago was that?" Merle asked

"I don't know maybe 45 minutes since she left." She said as the two childrens eyes filled with tears. "It was so scary!" She said sobbing. "I didn't want her to go I tried to get her to stay!" She said obviously blaming herself for Aurora not being there. Daryl looked at the children and immediently grew uncomfortable as did Merle.

"it's okay...I'll find her." Merle said getting up and grabbing his things. "Daryl you get the kids back to the farm as soon as the storm lets up enough." He said pulling his jacket on as Daryl just nodded. 'Alright girly better be okay.' He said surprised that he cared so much.

Merle had asked the young girl which way she had come from and which way she had seen Aurora run and set out in that direction hoping that he could find her soon.

Aurora had made it to the camp only to find no one was there and no walkers were around. "Thank god!" She said as she began to make her way out of the tree and was startled when the body that once hung there lifeless sprang to life causing her to fall hitting her head on the wet hard ground. Her vision began to fade and as the world grew more and more hazy she attempted to reach the tent passing out a few inches from the entrance.

"Aurora!" Merle yelled above the thundering clouds and lightening flashing knowing that he needed to find her soon. He had been trekking through the woods on his own for an hour and knew that if he couldn't find her he would have to turn around and head back to camp. "Can't leave her out there." He said to himself pushing forward looking for any sign of his compainion. He had headed in the direction which the little girl told him. The storm was still beating down and Merle knew that he had to find some form of shelter if he was going to be able to find the young woman catching his death would mean he was no good for either of them. Luckily he came to a small clearing with a bright yellow tent however in a few more minutes he would find out how lucky of a find it truely was.

He crept towards the tent machete drawn ready to attack any walker when he spotted the walker hanging from a noose wrapped around a tall oak tree. "Damn idiot. Didn't he realize only the head could kill 'em?" He said to himself exaimining the body for himself pushing it a bit to let it sway back and forth. "Well let's see what you left 'Ol Merle." He said as he bagan to go through the bags laying against the tree until he noticed a knife laying on the ground. He picked up the weapon and survayed it more before he realized it was the same exact knife Aurora had gotten from the hunting store. He quickly placed the knife in his pocket and began looking around until he found the girl he was looking for laying on the ground covered in mud.

"Aurora?" He asked moving towards the young girl who looked like an old ragged doll left in the rain by some snot nosed kid who didn't want it anymore. "Girl you alive?" He said inching closer to her fearing for the worse. Once she didn't respond again he grabbed her and looked over her body for any bites. Luckily there were none and she looked to be still breathing. "Alright let's get out of the rain." He said grabbing her and carrying her to the tent making sure there was no walkers around. He laid her on the pillows making sure to elevate her head a bit and covered her up tightly with the blankets. "We'll head back once the storm passes." He said more to himself as he looked at the girl actually happy that he had finally found her.

"Daryl the rain has slowed down!" Young Sophia said looking out the window. "Do you think Merle found her?" She asked her eyes filled with worry.

"Uhhh yeah of course!" He said as he began to gather their things. "But for now lets not worry and get back to the farm." He said slinging Aurora's bag over his shoulder followed by his cross bow.

"I'm tired." The little boy who haden't spoke said which startled him as he looked down at the young boy.

"You think you can walk for a little bit?" He asked as the little boy nodded slowly rubbing his eyes.

"I miss Aurora..." He said his big grey eyes full of sadness Sophia immediently got the same look in her eyes as she nodded in agreement with him.

"She wil be fine I promise." Sophia said grabbing the little boys hand and quietly following behind Daryl as they headed back for the farm.

The group was thirty minutes into their walk before Brenden stopped and looked at Daryl. "I'm tired." He said not wanting to move anymore.

"We're almost there. Think you can make it a little further?" He asked looking at the boy. This time the little boy shook his head no and Daryl rolled his eyes shifting his belongings before holding his arm out to the little boy. Brenden didn't think much of anything as he crawled into the older mans arm resting his head on him. Once the young child was situated Daryl Sophia and Brenden began their trek back to the farm where everyone was anticipating their return.

The trip back was uneventful no walkers to be seen or killed and Sophia did good taking care of herself Brenden slept comfortably against the rough redneck the whole time only whimpering a few times in his sleep. Daryl looked down at the kid with a certain awe about him; Sophia had told him how she found him in the house his parents laying there dead not even ten feet from him. He had cried a lot but who could blame him he was a five year old alone in a world not suitable for anyone let alone children. He wondered how something so small could have so much will to live and courage to boot. Soon he found himself lost in his own thoughts remembering how he was at that age. Running around his neighborhood trying to stay away from his house as much as possible. Of course his parents didn't give a rats ass where he was even being five years old. His dad was usually gone at the local bar or off with some hussy and his mom was in her own drunken abyss oblivious to anything around her. She hadn't always been like that matter of fact around the time he turned five was around the time she detached herself from his life. Before she had been the world's most loving mom and that was all he had in the world yet it had found a way to even strip that little bit of happiness from his world.

He was snapped from his little pitty party by Sophia shouting and running into the open arms of her mother which caused the group to stop what they were doing and surround the children and him. "Oh my god I never thought I would see you again!" Carol said enveloping her child as tears of joy fell down her face freely. "I will never know how to repay you." She said her eyes focused on Daryl who just stood there not used to the attention. Her attention quickly went back to her daughter as she hugged her even tighter.

"Uhh Daryl who's that?" Glenn asked looking at the redhead boy against Daryl's chest.

Before Daryl could answer Sophia sprung from her mother and looked at the Korean. "That's Brenden...I found him in a house then Aurora found us..." She said her voice trailing off before her eyes filled with tears and she hugged her mother even tighter. "It's all my fault I let her go...I should have made her stay in the tree with us!" She sobbed into her mother as Jameys attention went from Sophia to Daryl and her eyes filled with hurt and sorrow.

"Was Aurora blonde? with bright green eyes and kind of short?" She said desperatly wanting to know if the Aurora who was trekking through the woods was her baby sister and if all hope was lost finding her alive. Sophia simply nodded then mentioned that she had a sister she was looking for and Jamey felt her world crash around her. "Is she alive?" She asked her voice not much bigger than a mouse.

"I don't know." She said returning her head to her mothers shoulder.

Jamey felt as if she had to get away from everyone there was no doubt in her mind it was her babysister all alone in the woods and only god knew if she was alive or dead. Jamey walked away from the group quickly knowing she should be happy for the small girls return and the finding of the little boy but she couldn't not with the fact that she wouldn't know whether or not her sister was alive. Whether or not the abominations had torn her apart just as they did her cousin a mere couple of weeks before.

Merle Dixion looked out the opening of the tent to see that the rain had ceezed to all but a trickle and the lightening and thunder had stopped. "Time to get cha back to your sister girly." He said pulling the blonde out of the tent as easily as he could with one hand watching her head. It took him a bit longer than thought to get her in his arms but he managed and began his walk back to the farm to meet up with his brother. "Second time I ended up having to carry 'ur ass girly. You owe me." He chuckled making sure not to make any loud noises to attract any unwanted guests.

"You know girly I never would admit it but when you helped me the other night with my withdrawl that ment a lot. No one ever helped me and I guess I don't blame them I mean I am a son of a bitch and a bastard to boot." Merle said knowing the young girl couldn't hear him. "The night we first met you said not everyone in the world deserved help well I think I am one of those people who just don't deserve it."

With him making his peace for her helping him he continued foward the calming silence of the dense woods calming his minds. Before the world went to shit he never really cared for the silence of the woods not like Daryl did but now he was learning just how amazing it could be. No smart ass remarks loud music or obnoxious people just the wilderness around him. Surprising the whole apocolypse didn't seem to affect the local wild life to much as there were birds chirping praising the ending of the storm. "Almost there." He said mentally taking notice of where they were and she began to stir in his arms. "You awake girly?" He asked not even bothering to look down at her.

"Kind of...am I dead? or dreaming?" She asked not really knowing much of anything her head still in a daze as Merle stopped for a moment letting her sit on a fallen tree. "Merle is that you?" She said looking at the familiar face and rubbing her tender head.

"Nope it's Jesus." He said in an obviously smart ass tone. "Who else would it be lookin this good even at the end of the world."

"I know you're not talking about looking good stumpy." She said in a playful tone that took him back a bit.

"Already got jokes? and to think I just saved your life little girl. Shoulda just left you there." He said as she looked at him rubbing her eyes.

"Thank you for saving me." She said as he handed her a bottle of water which she basically chugged soothing her dry throat. "Oh my god the kids!" She said her eyes shooting up as she tried to figure out where they could have went.

"Sophia and the little boy?" He asked and she instantly looked at him and nodded. "Daryl took them back to the farm everyone is at...that's where we are heading now." He said not bothering to bring up her sister as to not get her hopes up if it was the wrong person.

"You found him?!" She said her face lighting up with happiness for the man besides her. "That's amazing Merle! Well what are we waiting for let's get back there." She said slowly standing to her feet as he followed and they began their journey again.

"Why did you run off into the woods?" Merle asked breaking the silence he was once enjoying.

"I saw the little girl run off into the woods and I couldn't help it. No one that young and innocent deserves to be lost and alone in a world like this." She said feeling much better than she had been a mere few minutes ago. Merle didn't reply instead he let the calming comfortable silence take over once more and the pair both seemed to be enjoying it.

The hike back was quiet no walkers in sight which both Merle and Aurora were thankful for not wanting to deal with anything at the moment just wanting to rest and get some sleep. "Merle be careful it's a little slick right here." She started to say but before she could continue Merle fell down the slope his ankle making a sickly popping noise and landing with a stick in his side.

"God Damnit!" He shouted as the younger person rushed to his side.

"Holy shit are you okay?" She said examining the stick knowing that it that it wasn't deep enough to be life threatening unless she didn't get it cleaned soon. "How's your ankle?" She said remembering the popping noise hoping he didn't break it.

"I don't know!" He said through clenched teeth holding his side feeling the warm blood oozing out.

"We have to get this stick out..." She said tearing the bottom of his shirt to tie it off. "This is gonna hurt like a bitch..." She said looking Merle with pity.

"Just do whatcha gotta." He said clenching the ground around him as she quickly pulled the stick from his side pressing his shirt to it to put some pressure on the wound.

"Alright I'm going to wrap your shirt around it then check your leg. We have to get back to the camp...how far away is it?" She asked double knotting the shirt so it stays on before moving to his ankle. "Can you move it at all?" She asked more worried about his side getting infected then his ankle which put her at ease when he was able to move it in circles and up and down. "What about your toes?" She asked as he nodded to her. "Think you can walk on it?"

"You ask to many damn questions...and the farm in about ten minutes away." He asked struggling to sit up knowing that they had to get back sooner rather then later. "Let's just get going." He said hoisting himself up refusing to let her help him. "You need all your strength." He said limping ahead of her as she followed.

Jamey sat by her tent staring into the embers of what was left from the fire she had built to heat water to wash dishes with. She was off into her own little world poking and proding the smoothering ashes with a stick she didn't even hear Daryl walk up besides her.

"Hey." Daryl said interuptting her thoughts causing her to jump.

"Hi." She said quietly not moving nor looking up. "Where's the boy?" She asked referring to the boy who once clung to his chest.

"Sleepin' in Merle's and my tent...Merle went after your sister and I know he's gonna come back with her." He said causing her to look up at the young redneck her eyes iced over showing no emotion at all.

"How do you know?" She asked her tone colder than a winters night in Georgia. "They could both be dead for all we know."

"Well they ain't!" He said turning to walk away from the woman in front of him when Andrea stopped him.

"Walkers! I see walkers in the field coming from the woods!" She screamed aiming her guns.

"Don't shoot that will only attract more. We will go deal with it!" Rick said ordering the blonde to put her gun down as he nodded to Daryl who began walking towards the spotted walkers with Rick. "Let's take care of them easy put everyone at ease and hurry and get back to the camp." Rick said as he and Daryl met up walking together. Daryl nodded looking towards the walkers when he noticed that it wasn't walkers but his brother and who he could only guess was the girl everone was worried about.

"Rick that's Merle!" He said running towards the limping figure who seemed to be in rough shape. "Merle!" He shouted causing his brother to stop and stare but little known to the four Andrea was raising her gun once more aiming her cross hair at what she thought to be the bigger of the two walkers before placing her finger on the trigger.

"Baby brother am I happy to see you." He said as Daryl reached him and a shot rand out silencing the farm.

"No!" Daryl screamed reaching for his falling brother as Aurora immediently grabbing Merle letting his body slide down hers to soften the impact and Andrea gasped realizing that she didn't shoot a walker but she shot a human.

"Hey Merle?" Aurora asked as they were reaching the edge of the woods happy their journey was finally coming to a breif end and they would be able to rest.

"Hmm?" He grunted focusing on walking and trying to keep his mind off the pain.

"When you found your brother was there a redhead? You know my sister in the group?" She asked wanting to know if her search was over and she would finally be reunited with her last living family member.

Merle went to answer when they both noticed to figures running towards them followed by a man shouting Merle's name. "Well I'll be dammed." Merle said a smirk forming on his face. "Baby brother am I happy to see you!" Merle said looking at his baby brother before her felt something graze his skull hearing the shot ring out through the air he thought he was dead. That his time was up and he was going to meet his maker. He looked at Daryl one last time before his vision went black and he felt himself falling to the ground gravity finally becoming to much for his body to handle.

Daryl yelled something that Aurora couldn't understand but she quickly lunged to her side grabbing Merle's body and letting it slide down hers knowing she had to slow his fall somewhat. She felt her body give way under the added pounds of Merle as they both fell her quickly moving to his head to check and see if it was the end of the man she had come to know...her closest friend from the past few days. She felt tears begin to blur her vision as she saw blood leaving his newest wound at an alarming rate. "Come on you son of a bitch! You are not dyin on me know!" She said ripping her shirt as applying pressure to the wound.

"Is he okay?!" Daryl and Rick was know besides her kneeling down to look at the redneck who was passed out.

"I don't know there is to much blood we have to get him somewhere I can see properly..." She began as she heard them mention someone named Hershel who was a doctor and she let them take the man who was against her legs as she sprung up to follow them. "What the fuck happened?! Who the fuck shot him?" She said the inital shock calming down as she saw a blonde woman who looked to be older than her run up to them.

"I am so sorry! I thought he was a walker I didn't know it was him!" She said in one breath looking at what she did with guilt weighing her down. Daryl went to speak but before he could he saw the blonde covered in his brothers blood lunge at the other blonde fist first sending her tumbling to the ground from a right hook.

"I swear if he dies I will fucking kill you bitch." She said spitting on Andrea before returning to the men caring Merle. Daryl was taken back why did this girl care about Merle so much? Did they fuck? 'Probably...' He thought as he rushed Merle's lifeless body to the house.

"Hershel! Hershel please come help. One of ours was shot..." Rick said as an older white haired man came out of the big farm house to be met with Rick and Daryl carrying another man with a blood covered woman close behind.

"Hurry and get him inside." Hershel said holding the door open as they all rushed in.

"Ror?" Jamey said as she gathered with everyone else around the house causing her sister to turn and look at her.

"Me Me?" She said running to her sister falling into her arms. "It's really you?!" She said sobbing into her sisters shirt which cause everyone to turn from Merle and look at the sisters. "I have to go help." She said as she was wipping her tears not wanting to leave but knowing her nursing skills might come in handy. Jamey nodded knowing that her talent for nursing was one of the most valuable talents in todays world.

"We'll catch up after." She said hugging her sister one last time before she ran to the house. She ran through the doors looking for where they went following the voices that she heard.

"Is he okay?" She asked bursting through the doors causing everyone to look at her.

"You shouldn't be in here." Rick started to say to the new girl who immediently scolded him.

"I am or was a nurse. I worked in the emergency room for five years before the end of the world." She said recieving a nod from Hershel.

"Grabb that cloth and begin cleaning the wound. It looks like just a graze luckily. What on earth happened?" He asked as he unwrapped Merle's side and began looking at that wound grabbing tweezers to pluck any bark from the wound.

"One of our look outs thought he was a walker and shot him." Rick said looking to Daryl who's eyes was trained on his brother. The woman who Merle had been traveling with said something under her breath while she was cleaning his head wound.

"He also had a pretty bad fall. I have to make sure he didn't break his ankle." She said sighing in relief at the sight of the graze. "You were right just grazed his head. It's not life threatening just a surface wound which would account for all the blood." She said taking a minute to breath. "Do you have a needle and surgical thread to stitch it up?" She asked as Hershel pointed to a cupboard and she immediently went to it and began rummaging around until she found it.

"If you guys could give us a bit of space to work that would be much appreciated." Hershel said to Rick and Daryl as Rick left easy Daryl taking a bit more force to leave. "I can't tell you how amazing it is to have another medical person." He said relief evident in his voice.

"Yeah I bet must be a big responsibility." She said working on Merle's head.

"You have no idea." He said as they returned to their work. "Do you know him?" Hershel asked pointing to Merle as he took the last of the bark from his wound and began cleaning it.

"Yeah met him a few days back...saved me more than twice." She said unlacing his boots now done with cleaning stitching and bandaging his head. "Ankle looks to only be a high ankle sprain of course can't really tell without an xray. Mind if I grab an ace bandage I saw some in the cupboard while I was grabbing the needle and thread." She asked as he nodded working on stitching Merle's side carefully. "Thank you for helping." She said wrapping his ankle.

"You're welcome. I am just going to finish up you should go get some rest." Hershel said more demanding she leave then asking and with that she left out the door but was immediently bombarded by Daryl and Rick.

"Is he okay?" Daryl asked the new girl his piercing blue eyes catching her bright green ones.

"Yeah...sprained his ankle the bullet grazed his head so not much damage and his side should heal up fine." She said never looking away from his eyes.

"Good." He said walking away leaving her standing there with the man wearing a sherrifs outfit.

"Thank you for your help..." He said waiting for her to let him know her name.

"Aurora. My name is Aurora." She said putting her hand out for him to shake.

"Well nice to meet you...my name is Rick and that was Daryl. Are you the girl Merle was traveling with on the highway?" She nodded her head as he did the same. "So you are Jamey's sister?"

"Yeah...and I'm sorry I would love to stay and talk but I need to find her." She said leaving the man she now knew as Rick standing by himself.


	8. Chapter 8

I do not own Walking Dead or the characters only my own please leave love. :D

By the waysssss Sorry if Merle or Daryl or any of the walking dead characters seem to OC just let me know how you think they would be and I will try to do right by everyone! More up soon I promise!

Aurora stepped out of the house looking out at the farm as a warm gust of air enveloped her body instantly calming her. She knew that she could finally relax now. "Aurora!" She heard a little girl yell her name as she turned to see Sophia standing by an older woman with short grey hair. She smiled as she made her way to the younger girl who she had grown quite fond of. "Mommy this is the lady who saved me!" She said grabbing her mothers hand dragging her towards Aurora.

"Thank you so much!" The older lady said letting her daughter go only to hug the young blonde who hugged her back.

"It was no problem. She is an amazing little girl." She said as Sophia removied Aurora's bag from around her and handed it back to her. "Thank you so much." She said as she started looking around catching her sisters attention. "Where is little man?" Aurora said looking around not seeing him and fearing for the worse.

"He's okay he is sleeping in Daryl's tent." Carol said noticing the panick in the younger womans face.

"Where is that?" She asked as Carol pointed and she made her way to his tent stopping where her sister was standing and hugged her again. "I am so happy to see you!" She said not letting her sister go.

"I know Ror I know..." Her older sister said a few tears of joy falling from her face. "Where were you all this time?" She said guiding her sister to a table.

"I want to tell you I really do and I will but I have to go check on little man." She said looking at her sister. "I will be right back!" She said leaving and heading in the direction Carol had pointed to coming up to a lone tent that was a little further away from all the rest. "Hello?" She said knocking on the flap of the tent as Daryl came out looking at her.

"Yeah?" He asked looking the girl he suspected his brother was sleeping with up and down.

"Is the little boy who was with Sophia here?" She asked for the first time getting a good look at Merle's younger brother. He was handsome and rugged. He had a bad boy look and she would be lying if she said she thought he was anything but sexy. His piercing blue eyes squinted a bit as he nodded lifting the tent flap for her to follow him in. "Thank you." She said following him.

"Yeah the boy was asleep when we got back so I just put him in here." He said as he looked her up and down again. She didn't look like a girl Merle would go for then again pickin's were slim these days. She had long wavy blonde hair with big green eyes and chubby cheeks. She was slender but had meat on her bones with nice curves. Her right arm was covered in what looked like a floral sleeve with a bit of writing and she has a few other tattoos on her other arm and that was all that he could see. She didn't look trashy and wasn't wearing revealing clothes. She was wearing a simple black v-neck with a pair of worn down blue jeans she didn't seem anything like the type of girl his older brother went for at all.

Aurora felt Daryl's eyes on her as she bent down swipping some of the hair out of the little boys face smiling lightly at him as his eyes fluttered open. "Rora?" He asked his voice small and sleepy.

"Hi buddy I told you I would be back." She said smoothing his hair. "You gonna tell me your name now?" She said as he smiled shyly sitting up.

"Brenden." He said rubbing his eyes and she pulled him into her lap sitting on the cot he once sat. "I thought you died like mommy and daddy..." He said as his eyes began to fill with tears and she hugged him.

"I told you I would be back." She said as she rubbed his back soothing the five year old. "I have to go see my sister do you want to come or stay here?" She asked as he hugged her tighter.

"Don't leave me again..." He said so quiet only she could hear and she nodded picking him up with her.

"I'm just going to get him out of your hair. Thank you." She said as she left Daryl's tent and immediently headed back to where her sister was but was stopped by the blonde she punched earlier and she looked pissed and had a bruise forming from where she had punched her.

Aurora tried to dodge her but the other blonde stopped her in her tracks blocking her way. "What the fuck is your problem?!" Andrea screamed at her causing Brenden to jump and tear up.

"I don't have one please move." She said not wanting Brenden to be upset as a few people gathered around including Daryl and Jamey.

"So punching me in the face and spitting on me as well as threatening me isn't a fucking problem?" She said raising her voice again. "Put down the kid." She said stepping up. "Why don't you come and try your shit when it's not a cheap shot."

"Oh god." Jamey said knowing her sister didn't back down from a fight.

"What did you say?" Aurora shot back still holding the little boy.

"I said put down the kid. See if you can hit me when I am actually paying attention not feeling guilty for shooting your no good redneck." She said disguist in her voice as she talked about Merle.

"Hey bubba this is my sister Jamey she is gonna hold you for a minute." She said as she moved a bit to hand the five year old to her sister Andrea grabbed her hair yanking her backwards causing her to fall with the young boy. She fell on her back making sure to hold him tight so he wouldn't get hurt and as soon as it was clear she let him go and her sister ran and grabbed him. "Are you fucking serious you could have hurt him!" She screamed getting back on her feet missing Andrea's fist by seconds. "Fuck you." She said dodging another punch laughing in her face. Once she had an opening she jabbed forward hitting Andrea square in the nose causing her to stumble back which she was met again by Aurora's fist. "You done?" Aurora said as the older blonde stumbled a bit holding her now bleeding nose. She turned to walk away and Andrea grabbed her hair this time driving her face into the ground. Aurora laid there in shock for a few moments the pain from her head hitting the ground repeatedly quickly faded into adreniline as she turned knocking Andrea off of her. "You dumb bitch. I hit you earlier because you shot someone in the head...could have killed him too!" She said punching her in the stomach

"So this farm would have been better if I did." Andrea spat coughing a bit. "Those Dixions are no good. Merle's a damn druggy who didn't cause anything but trouble I was protecting everyone."

"The fuck you were. You don't know them and you sure as hell don't know him." Aurora shot back repeatedly punching Andrea in the face until she fell on the ground. "He saved my damn life so how can someone be so bad if he saved a complete strangers life multiple times?" She said between kicking Andrea in the side as Daryl finally stepped in grabbing the woman who was beating the other one. "Let me the fuck go!" She said trying to hit him yet he dodged everyone.

"Calm the fuck down." He said looking to see Dale and a few other camp members checking on Andrea. When she heard the deep southern drawl she stopped fighting and just let the man she just met guide her to the picnic table her sister was at.

"Oh my god! Ror are you okay?" Her sister asked as she stopped playing paddy cake with the little red head and looked at her sisters bloody state.

"Of course ain't nothing." She said as she turned to say thanks to Daryl who was already gone. She touched her still tender face giving a reassuring smile to the young boy and her sister.

"You shouldn't have fought." Jamey started to say but immediently grew quiet upon her sisters look.

"Not like I had much of a choice." She said turning to Brenden. "You okay little guy?" She asked as he nodded his head. "That's good. Do you mind staying here with Jamey while I go find somewhere to clean up?" She asked again as he nodded turning back to her sister.

"Go ask Hershel to use the shower. I don't see when he wouldn't let you. He told us just to ask before we use it and you need a shower." She said as Aurora looked down at herself.

She was glad her shirt was black because it was soaked in blood and her jeans were filled with dirt grim and god knows what else. She nodded at her sister as she took off towards the house grabbing the bag she dropped by the table on her way to find Hershel. She knocked at the door only to be greeted by a slim short haired brunette who looked at Aurora's face with worry.

"Oh my god are you okay?" She asked wondering who this woman was and why she was all bloody.

"Oh yeah...just a little dispute. I'm Aurora...I came in with the gentleman who got shot...I was wondering if Hershel was in? Kinda wanted to ask him to use the shower. My sister Jamey said he told the group we could use it if we just asked and I am in desperate need of one." She said as the girl smiled.

"Oh of course come on in. I'm Maggie and I'm Hershels eldest. Let me go get him...he's going to want to look at your face." She said disappearing into the house. Aurora stood in the doorway making sure not to get any grim anywhere as she stood and waited for the girl she now knew as Maggie to return. "Daddy said take a shower to wash the blood off then he will stitch you up." She said returning with a towel and wash rag in her arms handing them to Aurora. "It's up the stairs first door on the right there is shampoo conditioner and soap in there." She said smiling.

"Thank you so much!" Aurora said hurrying to get to the bathroom as to not track anything in.

Once she was safe behind the closed door she pulled a plastic garbage bag from her bag and peeled off her grim filled clothes throwing them in it so there would be nothing on the ground. Merle's blood from earlier soaked through the light cotton fabric staining her once light purple lace bra a bright red color. "Damnit." She said taking that off and placing it in the bag too. She ran the water for a few moments and examined herself in the mirror. Her face was filled with blood and she could see a few cuts but nothing to bad she had a new bruise on her neck but the bruise Merle left the first day they met had almost faded completely. She looked at the new bruises that riddled her body and sighed. "Sucks being so white." She said as she looked at the scars that marked her stomach and thighs blinking away any memory from them. Once she had enough of looking at her beaten and battered body she stepped into the shower letting the warm water wash away all of the stress and pain from the last few days as well as the build up of grim. She took her time washing herself making sure to get every last smudge of dirt off wanting to feel clean if not for a few days. Once she was done she got out of the shower and wrapped the towel around herself before digging in her bag for a pair of black jeans and an old HIM tank top as well as panties and a bra. The clothes were clean and she felt human again but looking in the mirror she felt even further from it. Her face being hit against the ground had left more bruises then she originally thought as she look at herself and frowned at the lasrge gash in her forehead. "Gonna need stitches..." She said as she packed up her things and exited the bathroom bumping into Hershel.

"Ahh just the girl I wanted to see. Feel better?" He asked motioning for her to follow him.

"Yeah. Thank you so much." She said as she followed him downstairs to the living room where a little bit of medical supplies were waiting.

"I just finished stitching up the other girl. Looks as if you may have cracked a few of her ribs." Hershel said as they sat down and he looked at her face. "You just need a few butterfly stiches and that should do it." He said looking over her face before cleaning the wound.

"Owe!" She said once the alcohol swab touched the open wound. Hershel said sorry as he continued to clean it before applying the strips.

"All done. Do yourself a favor don't get into anymore fights and rest." He said putting his things away.

"I will try. How is Merle doing?"

"He's good he woke up but he is sleeping now. Give him today to rest up then you can see him tomorrow."

"Alright thank you again Hershel." She said grabbing her things and heading outside to find Brenden and her sister still at the table she left them at. "Ughh I feel human again!" She said smiling to the two sitting down.

"Well you don't look it." He sister said taking in all of the bruises and cuts her little sister had. "Now where the hell have you been?!" She asked

"Well I was working when the outbreak started...it was a normal day at the parlor then BAM! some guy comes in and bites shorty...once that happened I left went home packed a bag and hit the road to come down here and find you and Jake.." She said as her sisters eyes filled with sorrow.

"Ror he ummm he didn't make it." She said as tears began to fill her eyes.

"I know...when I met Merle we were held up in a building and well we almost got over run and a bunch of walkers busted in and he was one of them...I put him out of his misery..." She said as her eyes hardened to an emerald stone color.

"Oh my god Ror I am so sorry!" She said hugging her sister who pushed her away.

"It's okay...but if it wasn't for Merle I would have died. I froze once I had to put him down Merle saved me. Slung me over his shoulder and got us to saftey with one damn hand." She said looking at her sister then Brenden who was yawning. "You tired Bren?"

"Yeah." He said as she turned back to her sister.

"You got a tent and stuff MeMe?"

"Yeah you must be tired!" She said getting up and grabbing Aurora's bags. "We will talk more later you need sleep."

"Alright. Thank you." She said walking to the tent Brenden in her arms. "You gonna sleep bubba?" She asked as he nodded rubbing his eyes. She grabbed one of the extra blankets and laid it on the ground then two pillows and two other blankets first tucking the small boy in then laying down herself wrapping up. "Night Mems." She said as she drifted off into a dreamless slumber brought on by exhaustion.


	9. Chapter 9

I do not own Walking Dead or the Characters! Leave love please! (: BTW thanks for the reviews and following and such and being patient with my not uploading as often as you guys deserve! Agian I hope I am not going to OC with people but let me know if you think I am and I will try and change it or let me know if you like it this way or what.

Aurora awoke to feeling as if she was being sandwiched only to open her eyes and find her sister on one side and Brenden on the other. "Lovely...I wonder how long I have been sleepin." She said to no one as she managed to wiggle out of the tent without waking her sister or Brenden. She slipped on her boots and stretched a bit noticing the sun wasn't even up yet. "Leave it to me to actually be able to sleep and still wake up before dawns early lights." She laughed to herself before deciding to go check out the farm and a bit of the surrounding area. She reached into the tent and grabbed her bag slinging it over her shoulder as she left.

"Now what is there to see around here?" She wondered out loud as she began walking towards the fields. She passed everyone's tents when she made it to the Dixion's tent and she noticed a small fire going. "Must have forgotten to put it out last night." She said shrugging her shoulders as she past paying no more mind to it.

She walked for a good hour to hour and a half and by time she found a nice quiet spot the sun had begun to rise as she was doing her daily stretches and workout. "What are you doing?" A young Korean guy said startling her.

"Hoy Shit! Do not sneak up on me!" She said grasping the front of her shirt as her heart sped. "And I am working out. Have to stay limber...plus haven't been able to in a few days." She said going back to her suicide jumps she felt his eyes still watching her and she stopped what she was doing to turn and look at him. "Yes?"

"I wanted to introduce myself. I'm Glenn." He said slightly amused at her excercise routine.

"I'm Aurora." She said giving a wave. "Is there anything else you needed Glenn?" She asked sitting down pulling a bottle of water out of her bag. "Want one?" She asked as he said no.

"Why did you attack Andrea?" He asked a bit hesitate at first but then coming straight out with it.

"You mean the fight where she threw me to the ground first while I was holding a five-year old little boy in my arms?" She asked her wall immediately flying up which he must have noticed because he quickly reworded himself.

"No! No not that time...she deserved you beating the shit out of her for doing that." He said shyly smiling a bit. "The first time...when you defended Merle Dixion..."

"You have a problem with him to? Let me guess you were one of the one's who left him chained to a roof?" She stated more than asked the younger man.

"Well no not really...he was just an asshole when we first met him. He was rude and racist sexist too. and I was there when he was chained but I didn't do it...I even went back to help find him."

"I don't care how bad a person is no one deserves to be left chained to a roof top with no hope...plus that man may be a dick but he saved me more than twice since I have known him. In my book to save someone else in a time like this with the dead walking and no consequences for letting them just die that shows a lot more of a person's character than a few choice words they may say. He even went out to look for Sophia and me." She said sitting against a tree. "You come to get information on me for your group?" She questioned him and he looked away. "I take that as a yes. Look I lost my temper with her the first time because you shouldn't go around shooting people and the second time she deserved it. I am not a violent person I just don't like being messed with I also know I over reacted the first time and if she gave me time I was going to apologize. But meeting up with the sister I thought dead worrying about a little boy and helping with a wounded man I had a lot on my mind at the moment." She said looking at the man who had sat down next to her.

"I understand they were all just wondering if you were a bitch and was going to start punching everyone." He said as she laughed a bit.

"Nope. Well how about you walk me back to camp? I am done with my work out anyways." She said getting up and waiting for him. "So who goes on runs around here?" She asked halfway back to the camp.

"I do most of the time by myself but I always clear it with Rick he's basically the self-proclaimed leader of our group. Why?"

"Well I need more clothes maybe another bag and a few more things. Plus I need a new weapon on account of the fact I lost mine in the woods. Which sucks! It was a beaut! But thanks for the information." She said separating from Glenn as they got back to the tents. "Have a nice day and I hope the information I gave you is helpful and puts everyone at ease." She said going towards the house seeing Maggie outside.

"Good Morning. What were you and Glenn doing?" Maggie asked with a hint of jealousy? maybe.

"He interrupted my workout to get information on me about why I attacked the blonde bimbo." Aurora said immediately seeing Maggie lighten up. "Is it alright if I go see Merle? Check his bandages so it's one less thing your daddy has to worry about?"

"Of course not...actually my daddy wanted to talk to you but I'm sure he won't mind if you go see Merle first he is busy at the moment anyways checking on Carl." She replied opening the door for Aurora.

"Who's Carl?"

"That's Rick and Lori's Boy." She said looking a bit sad. "Our farm hand Otis accidentally shot him when he was hunting. Didn't see him standing behind a deer and the bullet went right through and hit the kid. Otis and their guy Shane went to get equipment and Oatis gave his life so Shane could bring the supplies back."

"I'm sorry about your loss." She said quietly as she walked past her towards Merle's room. She knocked on the door with no answer so she slowly opened it and crept in only to be met by Daryl's big blue eyes looking at her.

"Didn't answer so who ever was knockin' would go away." He said looking away from her over to Merle's sleeping body.

"Sorry I have to change his bandages..." She said making her way to the supply cupboard. "After I'm done I will be out of your hair I promise just don't want to risk infection." She said grabbing cleaning supplies and fresh gauze.

"Why did you stick up fer Merle yesterday?" Daryl's voice was low and his southern drawl drew her in. "And why did you punch her in the first place when he got shot?"

"He saved my life a lot actually...and he's not as bad of a guy as everyone thinks. At least not in my opinion." She said removing the wrap from his head.

"You and him fuck?" Daryl asked immediately regretting it. It was none of his business anyways and he didn't even know why he wanted to know in the first place.

Aurora looked at the younger Dixion brother for some reason she was surprised by his choice of words. "No...we did not fuck. We just traveled together to find our siblings. He wanted to find you and I wanted to find my sister." She said as she began to clean the wound. Daryl looked at her still not sure why he even bothered to ask but he thought she looked as if she was telling the truth even though you never could tell with people but then again why would she lie to him...maybe out of embarrassment.

"You know that hurts right?" Merle grumbled not even bothering to open his eyes as he let Aurora finished cleaning his head wound. "How long have I been out?" He asked finally turning to Daryl.

"Since you got shot in the head." Daryl said looking down at his feet.

"Who the hell shot me and why?" Merle asked genuinely confused.

"It was blondie...you know the bitchy one and she thought you a walker." Daryl said laughing a bit. "Course how your ass came back I thought you one to for a minute. What the fuck happened out there?"

"Fell down a hill." He said wincing in pain as Aurora cleaned his stub of a hand.

"Quit being a baby Dixion." She said wrapping the wound. "It's healing good...but you do need to stay off your leg for a few more days as well as get lots of rest because your opened wounds."

"Well damn...I don't wanna be held up in a bed all day."

"To bad you have no choice. Alright I will see you later I have to go." She said throwing all the used supplies away and heading out the door to find Hershel closing it behind her.

"Everyone happy I got shot?" Merle asking looking at his baby brother. "And what the hell happened to her face?" He asked he didn't want to bring it up to her but he was curious.

"I was." Daryl said grinning at his brother; "and you're little friend and blondie got into a scrap 'cause of you."

"Whatcha mean 'cause of me?" Merle asked moving himself to where he was sitting up which caused a pain to shoot up his side.

"Well when you got shot you're little friend punched blondie spit on her then said if you die she was dead. Then blondie attacked her while she was holdin that little boy who send them into a full-blown cat fight and she came out good compared to the bitchy blonde." Daryl said.

"Damn. Told you I make girls go crazy." Merle said laughing a little bit.

"Yeah. You fuck that girl or something that why she's all pro Merle? I haven't seen a girl who would stick up for you that much since Mindy." Daryl asked again not sure why he cared if his brother fucked some chick.

"Naw I didn't. Saved her life a few times though and she saved mine a few times too."

"Ain't that sweet." Daryl said taunting his brother.

"Hey Hershel." Aurora said finally finding him in the garden after searching all over the house for him.

"How is Merle doing?" Hershel asked as he pulled himself up from weeding the garden.

"His hand and his other wounds are looking good and I told him he has to stay off his feet for a few days."

"That's good." He said as he poured himself a glass of lemonade after pouring Aurora one.

"What did you need to see me for? Maggie told me." She explained taking a sip of lemonade.

"Well I wanted to check your head for a concussion or anything. Merle told me you were knocked out when he found you in the woods?" Hershel questioned wanting to make sure she was okay. "And after your fight last night I really wanted to check."

"Yeah I guess when I was coming out of a tree something spooked me and I fell hitting my head on the ground...I don't remember passing out but I do remember waking up and Merle and I were walking back to the farm." She said completely forgetting that she had passed out.

"Well if you don't mind I would like to check your pupils and keep you in the house at night so I can continue to keep an eye on you. Even though you slept last night doesn't mean there wasn't damage." He said as he shone a light into her eyes.

"Yeah that's fine as long I don't have to stay inside all day." She said hoping that wasn't the case.

"Of course not but I don't want you going around doing intense work though." He said as she checked out so he let her go.

"Thank you Hershel and do you mind if I sleep inside can Brenden sleep in the room with me...he doesn't really like me to leave." She said smiling at the thought of the little boy.

"That is not a problem at all." Hershel said as she walked away leaving him to tend to the garden.

Once Aurora was done meeting with Hershel she went back to the tents to see everyone sitting around conversing. "Hello and good morning!" She said waving at everyone and everyone but Andrea smiled and waved back. It was the first time since the fight that Aurora had seen Andrea and Hershel was right she walked away the lucky one. Andrea's face was a bit swollen and she had multiple cuts as well as a broken nose and she was wearing a wrap around her rib cage.

"So since yesterday you didn't meet everyone I figured we can introduce you now." Rick said standing up in front of the group with a cup of coffee. "Everyone you already know this is Aurora...Aurora this is Lori Shane Carol Sophia TDog Glenn Dale and you already know Andrea." He said pointing to everyone in the group.

"Hello everyone!" She said happily as she sat next to her sister who was holding a still sleeping Brenden. "Does anyone need any help with anything today?" She asked wanting to be useful and not just sit around all day.

"Well you have medical training right?" A very skinny brunette she know knew as Lori asked her.

"Yes I was a nurse for five years."

"Well I was wondering if you could check Carl just to make sure he is okay. Hershel is busy with Patricia...Oatis' wife and I just want to know how he is doing..." She said her eyes thick with worry.

"Oh god yeah I will go check on him as soon as he wakes up!" She said grabbing a cup of coffee for herself. "Oh I also have some food to put in with whatever you have. Merle and I found some food right before we left the city. It's not much but it's something."

"Anything helps we are running low on food." Carol spoke up since she was the unofficial secretary of food.

"Well I am going to make a run anyways...I can look for any food while I'm out." Glenn spoke up getting an approval nod from Rick. "Did you want to go Aurora? Maggie and I are going." He said remembering how she wanted to go get some things any ways.

"Well I can ask Hershel...he told me not to do anything to strenuous on the account of I bumped my head and passed out in the woods and well he just wants to monitor me make sure I'm okay." She said as everyone stared at her.

"Alright just let me know." Glenn said shrugging his shoulders. "If not you can just give Maggie a list of what you need and she can try to find it." He said staring off into space.

"Alright thank you Glenn." She said smiling at the younger mans kindness.

"Okay so does everyone know what they are doing today?" Rick said taking the spot light again and everyone nodded. "Okay good." He then turned to go about his day as did the rest of the camp.

"What are you doing today?" Aurora turned to her older sister who was still holding Brenden.

"Ummm I am watching the kids...there is a little pond near the camp so we may go check that out...wanna come?"

"Yeah I just have to check Carl and Merle see how they are doing then I will head that way and look for you."

"We can wait we have to wait for little man to wake up. It is so crazy him being all alone for even one night and surviving." Jamey said brushing his hair out of his face. "He is so precious and that hair color..." She said laughing a bit. "He reminds me of Bryce..." She said sorrow filling her eyes as both sisters looked down.

"Yeah he does..." Aurora agreed. "Well I am going to head inside and do you know that I actually have my bathing suit." She said as her sister gave her a questionable look and asked why. "Well when all this went down Todd was going to have a pool party after work so I wore it under my clothes and after the first day I just threw it in my bag."

"Only you would pack a bathing suit for the apocalypse." The older sister said as her younger sibling left.

Aurora headed towards the house once more seeing another blonde and a boy sitting on the porch instead of the usual Maggie. "Hello..." Aurora said startling the young pair. "My name is Aurora." She said waving.

"Hi I'm Beth this is Jimmy. I'm Hershel's youngest daughter." She said letting go of Jimmy's hand to wave. "I like your tattoos...I always wanted to get one but my dad always said I couldn't get one while under his roof."

"Well thank you." She said smiling.

"What's that one say?" Jimmy asked looking at her sleeve.

"It is lyrics to a HIM song."

"Who's HIM?" He asked and she looked stunned.

"You don't know who HIM is?! Oh my child you just don't know..." She said laughing a bit at the sincere confused look on both the younger kids faces. "They are...well were a Finnish Rock band. Amazing musicians." She said explaining to them. "However do you know if Carl is up? His mother wanted me to check on him." She asked figuring she should get back to what it was she went to the house for in the first place.

"No he's not...the other one is though. Sounds bored he's in there singing." Beth answered.

"Singing?"

"Yeah...been at it for thirty minutes. I can let you know when Carl wakes up. We usually take him lunch."

"Thank you...I guess I'm going to go see about a singing redneck." She said entering the house and sure enough Merle was singing.

"OHHH here comes Johnny with his pecker in his hand he's a one ball man and he's off to the rodeo... it's an alla man left and an alla man right come on you fuckin' dummy get your step right get off the stage you god damn goof you knowwwww...You piss me off you fuckin' jerk...get on my nerves..." She walked into the room and Merle was staring at the ceiling oblivious to the world around him.

"Woohh!" She cheered causing him to stop and look at her.

"Well if it isn't Miss Sweetcheeks. Come to visit 'Ole Merle? Can't get enough right?"

"Nope wanted to see who had the lovely singing voice. Sounds like an angel." She said laughing as she took the seat Daryl once had next to the bed.

"Well there ain't shit to do in here! Man get's bored!" He said

"Never pegged you for the type to sing." She said propping her feet on his bed. "So how ya feeling?"

"Better...doc came in and gave me some pain meds."

"Lucky you."

"Yep." He said shifting in the bed not feeling any pain.

"Where's your brother?"

"Don't know...think he went huntin. I ain't his keeper."

"Not a man for many words huh?"

"Yeah he was always the quiet one."

"Well you shouldn't need your bandages changed and if you start feeling a bit better tomorrow the day after that I will see about getting you up and about. Can you move your ankle at all?" She asked getting you to look at Merle's ankle that was swollen.

"A bit. Can I ask you somethin' girly?" Merle asked his face looking serious as could be.

"Sure." She said wrapping his ankle then sitting down facing him.

"Why did ya stick up for me with blondie?"

"You too? Geesh that seems to be the million dollar question." She said looking away. "Merle you may be a dick sometimes and scared me to death when we first met plus almost killed me." She said subconsciously rubbing her neck "But you saved me multiple times and you didn't have to...you could have just brushed your hands off and went about your day. There would have been nothing bad to come from it and the world wouldn't miss me but you didn't. You chose to kill that walker when we first met...carry me out of the building that was being over run when I was in shock. You could have left me in the woods...and let Edward rape me...but you didn't. You chose to save the life of some chick you didn't know from Eve and for that I am grateful I don't pity you I respect you. Plus you ain't half bad company to have around and when you got shot I was upset and worried. You've grown on me in our short adventure together like a tick." She said laughing.

"I ain't good." Merle said looking like he was in deep thought.

"Yes you are Merle...whether you chose to believe it or not you are. Everyone makes mistakes in their life just have to let go and move on." She said feeling bad for the man in front of her. "My turn to ask you a question." She said as he looked up.

"Hmm?"

"Why did you chose to save my life all those times?" She asked genuinely curious about the mans reasoning behind it.

"Don't know just did. Never really thought 'bout why." He said as a knock at the door caused them to stop talking and look.

"Hey I just wanted to let you know Carl is up." Beth said quietly as she peeked from behind the door.

"Thank you dear." Aurora said getting up from her seat. "I'll bring you something to eat when I'm checking on Carl...have you eaten?" She asked as he shook his head no. "Alright I will see you in a bit." He just nodded his head as she left the room not looking where she was going until she ran into someone falling on her ass. "Ow." She said looking up to see the younger Dixion brother standing in front of her his eyes squinted a bit as he bent down to help her up. "Sorry I didn't see you."

"No problem just watch where ya goin next time." He said as he gave her his hand to pull her up.

She blushed a bit feeling the heat come from her face. 'What am I a school girl?' She thought to herself hoping the attractive redneck didn't notice her blush too much. "Thank you." She said quietly as he walked into Merle's room and she turned to head to Carl's.


	10. Gaurdian Angel Chapter 10

I don't own walking dead or its characters. Please leave love and what not. :D

"Hello?" Aurora knocked on the young boys door that she had yet to meet.

"It's open." She heard a small voice come from behind the door so she opened it stepping in to see a boy about Sophia's age with brunette hair. "I've never seen you before." He said looking up from his peanut butter sandwich.

"I'm kind of new." She said walking all the way in.

"Are you the one who found Sophia?"

"Kind of...Daryl's the one who brought her back safely. How are you feeling today?"

"A lot better. Hershel said it's amazing I am awake now."

"Well yeah your body has been through a lot these past few days. Mind if I check your wounds?" She asked as he nodded managing to shift his body a bit to make it more viewable for Aurora. "Does it hurt?"

"Ummm yeah...a lot at times." He said wincing as she pulled the bandage back.

"Well the good news is its healing just fine bad news is you're going to be hurting and in bed a while longer." She said replacing the old bandage with a new one.

"Thank you ma'am." He said nodding towards Aurora as she smirked.

"Do I look that old?" She teased. "My name is Aurora not ma'am."

"I like your name it's pretty. My name is Carl." He said extending his hand for her to shake.

"Well aren't you the little sweet heart." She said shaking his hand lightly. "Well I am going to leave you to rest and I will tell your mother that you are doing just fine. You know her and your dad are very worried about you. You're lucky to have such caring parents."

"Yeah I guess some times it is annoying though." He said

"Parents will be annoying until the end."

"What about your parents?" He asked as the woman in from of him stiffened up.

"My parent's are gone. Before this thankfully...they didn't have to go through this." She said with a small sad smile. "Well I am going to get going. I will be back later how about that?" She said and he nodded not letting her leave until she pinky promised. She left the room smirking at the boy because even a bullet couldn't stop him from being in a good mood and that is a ray of hope in the world they lived in.

"Hey how is he?" Lori asked getting up from a couch that was seated in the hallway.

"He is just fine. Few more days and he will be up and about. He is a wonderful young man by the way." She said as Lori smiled.

"We were defiantly blessed with him."

"Yes you were and he loves you and his dad a lot. I can tell." She said before patting the older womans back lightly walking away towards Merle's room. "What no singing this time?" She asked opening the door to be met with the sight of Merle sleeping and Daryl looking up at her confused. "Oh hello...I was coming to see what Merle wanted for lunch..." She said growing instantly shy.

"Some blonde chick brought him lunch."

"Oh...okay. I will get out of your hair than. Bye." She said turning to leave as he stopped her.

"Thank you." He said as she turned to face him again.

"For what?"

"Helping my brother...not a lot of people would go out of their way to piss on him if he was on fire. Even before all of this. He isn't the easiest person to get along with." He said now staring at her. Her eyes were catching him and he couldn't look away. "We Dixion's are no good if you haven't noticed." He said remembering that Andrea had said that.

"Well I think you guys are plenty good as far as I can tell."

"You just haven't known us long 'nough." He said smirking at her.

"Only time can tell then." She said smirking back as she turned to leave. "Bye Daryl." She said closing the door behind her heading to look for Hershel.

She found Hershel in the living room and she had asked him if she could go with Maggie and Glenn which he immediately said no and sent her on her way to relax. She sighed knowing that he was in the right and she wouldn't be much of any help if she passed out again. Head injuries were the worse especially with no medical supplies to find out the extent.

"Hey..." Glenn called out and she turned to see Maggie and him sitting on the porch. "What did Hershel say? Can you go?"

"No...I can't. He said I have to stick around here for a few days at least to make sure I didn't damage my head. Plus I wouldn't be any good if I passed out on you." She said moving to where the two young people were.

"Yeah I understand. Was there anything that you need or want though?" Maggie said.

"Ummmm...no anything I need I can wait till I can go myself. Thank you guys though." She said as she turned to go find her sister at their tent. "Mems?" She asked as she walked into the tent to see no one was there. 'Mind as well get dressed.' She said as she stripped out of her clothes to throw her bathing suite on. Once she got her bottoms on she heard people coming and while scrambling to get her top on Daryl and her sister walked in the tent not knowing she was in there. Aurora quickly threw her arms over her exposed breasts and turned away from the two walking in the tent who stopped in their tracks. "Jamey!" She shouted as her face grew red.

"Oh my! I am so sorry Ror! Didn't know you were in here!" The older sister said between laughs. Daryl looked away not trying to stare at the woman in front of him he may have been a redneck but he knew what was proper and what wasn't his mama at least taught him that.

Aurora quickly pulled on the sports bra like top and tank top and faced them once again. "It's clear now..." She said still blushing a bit at the fact that she didn't know what Daryl had seen and what he hadn't seen.

"Right...Now for me to grab you that netting." Jamey said turning away and going towards a bag in the corner of the tent. "Daryl know's how to make traps so he's going to hopefully trap some game for us to eat." Jamey said explaining to her younger sister who was pulling her pants back on.

"That's cool. Where is Brenden?" She asked noticing the little boy was nowhere to be found.

"He is with Sophia they are waiting for us by the picnic table." She said carelessly digging through the bag as their guest stood quiet. "Here it is!" She said triumphantly. "Here you go sir." She said handing it over to Daryl and he took it. He muttered some sort of thanks as he took off from the tent. "Not really a man of many words huh?" She asked turning to her sister. "I am so sorry I had no idea you were in here." She said as she hugged her sister who forgave her.

"It's okay but knock next time!" She said as she urged her sister to get dressed so they can go to the pond. "Oh I will be right back!" Aurora said running out of the tent to see Maggie and Glenn who was luckily still on the porch where they had been. "Hey guys..." She said jogging to where they were and they both turned to look at her. "If you come crossed any little boy clothes will you grab them for Brenden?"

"Of course." Glenn said as she thanked them and turned around leaving them to whatever they were doing.

"Hey you guys ready to go swimming?" Aurora said coming up to the two kids who was sitting at the picnic table. They both eagerly nodded their heads as they smiled at Aurora. "Good because we are going to swim for the rest of the day!" She said as they cheered.

"Guy's ready?" Jamey asked walking up to her sister and the two kids who nodded as they began to follow her.

Half way through the day Jamey and Aurora sat on the shore watching the two children play in the shallow end. "So how was Tennessee when you left?" Jamey asked breaking the silence that surrounded them.

"It was bad. Knoxville was over run...from what I saw a lot of the people we knew were gone..." She said remembering her fallen friends. "It wasn't good."

"Did you find anyone alive?"

"Ran into a few groups. The one nice one let me travel with them for a while...until we got over run. It was bad. I couldn't do anything to save anyone at all. There were maybe five plus me and we got cornered in a small building. As we were sleeping some walkers got in and by time we found out it was too late. Once me and another person put everyone down we continued on our journey but they opted out. That was the last person I saw until Merle."

"What about him? What's his story?" Her sister asked.

"He is well different. He can be mean or gentle but I know deep down he's a good man. He saved my life multiple times and saved me from being raped."

"Well I am thankful for him then and I am thankful to god that you made it back safe. I was going crazy not knowing what happened to you."

"Same but then again finding you gave me the courage to keep going no matter what happened." Aurora thought about bringing up what other things happened to her while she was on her own but she decided against it knowing the past was better left in the past sometimes.

"Well it is getting late and they are probably almost done with dinner I think we should get the kids dried off and get going." Jamey said pointing to the sun which was beginning to fall from the sky. "Hey kids come on let's go!" Jamey yelled as both moaned out in protest but listened to what they were told. Once they were all dried off they grabbed their shoes and got up to leave.

"Hey Mems I'm going to stay here for a bit longer just chill." Aurora said as her sister gave her a slight nod and took the kids back to camp. Aurora looked at the small pond and the woods beyond it noticing the pure beauty of the scene before her. It reminded her of when Jamey and her first moved to Tennessee when she was eight years old. They moved it a little house just outside of Knoxville "it was crummy but theirs" was what Jamey used to say. She missed those days when the only problems were childish and would quickly be resolved within minutes. She didn't have a care in the world and she loved it. She was snapped out of her thoughts as she heard a twig snap behind her and she spun around to see Daryl coming out of the woods crossbow around his shoulder and a few rabbits and squirrel attached to his belt. "Any luck trapping?" She asked.

"Don't you know it's not safe to sit out here alone?" He asked ignoring her question.

"Well come sit with me and I won't be alone." She stated not knowing where the courage to be so bold came from. He grunted a response before he took off to camp leaving her alone once more. She laid back looking at the sky and the passing cloud not thinking about anything and not worrying for once. She loved the farm she loved how untouched it seemed. It didn't matter that there was an apocalypse going on in the world it seemed safe like the walkers had yet to learn about this last haven and she didn't want it to end.

"Tol' you it ain't safe to sit alone." Daryl sat coming back over to where she was sitting this time he only had his cross-bow. He sat down next to her not sure why he wanted to actually be around her. Everyone else at the camp he liked to try to avoid yet he wanted to sit with this girl.

"Well now I am not alone." She said as a matter of factly. "So how was hunting?" She asked looking over at the redneck.

"Decent." He said staring at the pond squinting his blue eyes and chewing on his thumb nail. The two fell into a comfortable silence as he looked onto the woods and she looked at the clouds passing by neither one wanted to break the silence and they were both silently grateful for that.

"Hey Rora!" Jamey said walking over not noticing Daryl. "Oh...hey Daryl!" She said seeing him next to her sister as she got closer to the pair. "Dinner is done."

"Alright I will be right there." Aurora said sitting up and stretching her back. "Thanks for the company." She said to Daryl as she got up and jogged to catch up with her sister leaving Daryl to walk back to camp alone.

Dinner was uneventful and everyone ate in silence besides the good jobs that Glenn received for bringing back a lot of supplies that would last them a while. After diner everyone sat by the fire a few people were having conversations and Aurora just sat looking at the flames lapping over the wood in the center of them all.

"So Aurora what did you do before all of this?" TDog asked bringing her out of her trance.

"Well I worked as a nurse since I was 23...but a few months before this I got a job in a tattoo parlor and was working there."

"So you were an artist?" He asked.

"Yeah I loved art. It was always so relaxing."

"Not to mention she was brilliant!" Jamey piped up from her cup of tea.

"I wasn't bad." Aurora corrected her.

"Hey Aurora my daddy wanted to check on you one last time before bed." Maggie said coming out of the house to get her. Aurora nodded as she turned to her sister and Brenden.

"I'm just going to go to bed after that I am still a bit tired." She said as her sister nodded. "Brenden you want to sleep with me or stay with Jamey in the tent tonight?"

"I wanna sleep wiff you." He said as she grabbed his hand and followed Maggie inside.

"Evening." Hershel said motioning for the young woman to have a seat next to him. "Let's have a look shall we? Have you been feeling dizzy or spacey at all?" He asked as he shone a small light into her eyes.

"No not at all I have felt fine all day actually." She said before he was done.

"Well stay in the guest room next to Merle's tonight...and give it a few more days until you do anything like go on runs." He said as she nodded.\

"Alright. If it's all the same to you I think I am going to lay down. I am tired." She had as he motioned for her to be excused and she took off down the hall towards the bedroom next to Merles. She tucked Brenden in first then decided to go check Merle before she went to bed. Knocking on his door she didn't hear an answer so she quietly opened it to see Merle crumpled up on the ground next to his bed.

"Damnit!" She said as she rushed over to the man checking his heart rate. "Come on Merle!" She said grabbing a bottle of water from his bedside and a shirt. She had forgotten about the last withdrawal but seeing him in this state shot it right back into her memory. He was just as he was the last time his body convulsing slightly and he was drenched in sweat. God only knows how long he had laid on the ground going through this alone.

"Hey Merle you jackass..." Daryl had started to say walking into the room as he saw his brother on the ground with Aurora sitting with him dabbing something on his forehead. "What the fuck happened?!" He shouted more than asked which startled the girl.

"He is going through a withdrawl...I'm trying to keep him cool." She said as she looked back down to Merle. "Do me a favor...help me get him onto the bed. He needs rest." She said knowing she wouldn't be able to sleep with him in this state. Daryl nodded as he grabbed Merle and lifted him onto the bed. He looked at his brother quietly sitting in the chair next to the bed as Aurora rushed to his side placing what he was guessing a wet rag on his forehead. "He's going to be fine he just needs rest." She said sitting in another chair.

"Your nursin classes prepare you for shit like that?" He said wondering how she was so good with dealing with withdrawals.

"That among other things..." She said becoming quiet.

"You can go to bed...I got this.. It isn't my first rodeo." Daryl said looking at his brother before looking at her. She nodded knowing that he probably wanted some time alone with his brother so she turned and left them alone before going to the room next door and falling asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

"You know Merle if you ever had a guardian angel it's that girl." Daryl said sitting back in his chair and watching his brother making sure that everything was okay.


End file.
